Those Nutty Spanish

…no, not all of them. Just this one white wine actually…

More specifically, the 2006 Vinedos de Ithaca ‘Odysseus’ Garnacha Blanca. It’s a most interesting white wine from the Priorat , or Priorato region of Spain. The area is known for it’s prestigious red wines and its red and black volcanic slate soils.

This bottle o’ white is made from Garnacha Blanca which is known in France as Grenache Blanc and is the main grape involved in white Châteauneuf-du-Pape wines. The vines are 80 plus years old.

Shockingly, I was perusing the sales rack and found this bottle there.  It was in my fridge in the blink of an eye.  I pulled it out on a weeknight after dinner, and the adventure was about to begin.

I served it nice and cold and observed a nice golden hue in my glass. The nose is complex… there’s sort of a pear/plum fruit thing along with some vanilla, and a sort of bitter undertone. On the palate:  mild flavors of pears and peaches with some creamy butter and honeysuckle, and a pronounced nut flavor that resonates and lingers for a beat. The mouth-feel is thick and chewy- it’s really not like any white wine I’ve had.   It would have paired nicely with a herb roasted or broiled chicken dish.

FYI: Steven Tanzer gave it a 90.

By the way, in my research I discovered that Priorat is also known for its production of hazelnuts- the culprit no doubt for the flavor I detected.  I’m always amazed at the characteristics that wine picks up from the soil its grapes are grown in.  It’s really kinda nutty…