Wine of the Week — Spanish Wine Collective

Golán 2015 – Bodegas Tampesta

Region – DO Tierras de León

Varieties – 100% Prieto Picudo

ABV - 14%

€14,50 from BODEBOCA

Mencía and the Bierzo DO have both long held centre stage amongst León’s winemakers but what of their younger brother to the east? The Tierras de León DO, largely congregated around the village of Valdebimbre, was set up in 2007 with the aim being to shine a light on the autochthonous red variety Prieto Picudo, along with the white varieties Godello & Albarín.

So what can we expect to find when we ask for a Prieto Picudo in the bars of León’s wonderful Barrio Gótico or the equally atmospheric Barrio Humedo? Well, what I love about this variety is its versatility and León’s continental climate calls for it! Cold winters & hot summers demand a wine that can both warm the cockles & quench the thirst of those intrepid pilgrims as they pass through the city on the Camino de Santiago.

Golán is definitely in the former category. Its dark ruby hue marks it out immediately as a medium to full bodied wine. Several of the region’s winemakers have been toying with the idea of testing the staying power of this variety and Andrés Marcos Santiago at Tampesta is one of those. Golán sees 26 months in oak! It’s clearly evident on the nose as vanilla & clove are redolent. There’s dark fruit in abundance with marked aromas of preserved maraschino cherry & wild blackberry. The tannins are polished and there’s a bright spine of tension that allows this variety to be made into both oaked reds & bright rosados for the summer months. There’s clearly potential for “vinos de guarda” with this variety as this 2015 still felt wonderfully fresh! All in all a really enjoyable wine that sat extremely well with a white bean & chorizo cassoulet.

I’m convinced we’re going to hear a lot more about this variety which takes its name from its bluish, tightly packed bunches (Prieto) and elliptical grapes (Picudo). You know it has a future when Spanish winemaker par excellence Raúl Pérez starts working with it. His Los Arrotos del Péndon is another fine example of an aged Prieto Picudo. And for those seeking out a summer alternative I’ll vouch for Dominio de Tares refreshing rosado Tombu, a veritable strawberry patch in a bottle.