Catalonia: The Making of Extra-Special Wines... And Memories
It has long been acknowledged that there is a mysterious connection between taste, smell and memory. Those in the know refer to it as the “Proustian Experience”, a reference to a famous passage
in Marcel Proust’s “Remembrance of Things Past” in which he tastes a madeleine and sip of lemon tea and is instantly transported back to his aunt’s house some 40 years earlier.
Enigmatic though it is, scientists have studied this common experience. We know that smell and taste don’t generally stir up memories of an informative nature, such as a really tricky algebraic equations that we once had to master. Instead, if a taste and smell are going to hit that sweet spot, it will be an emotionally charged memory that rushes back to you. A classic example may be crayons or floorwax reminding you of school. Or perhaps a really wonderful red wine, enjoyed on a sun drenched terrace during that fabulous holiday in Spain, back when you were newly married…
Yes, let’s stay with that one a while!
Catalonia: wine region
This week Little Hotels are celebrating Catalonia, and it is interesting to note that winemaking was introduced to this region several hundred years before even the Romans arrived there. So it’s fair to say, they know their stuff!
Cava was invented here in the late 19th century, and in the 20th century the Catalan wine industry became one of the world leaders of innovation which fuelled the Spanish Wine Revolution.
The region received international attention in 1979 when a bottle of Torres 1970 Gran Coronas Black Label (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo and Monastrell) was secretly entered into the "classified Bordeaux wine" category of the Gault Millau Wine Olympics and ended up winning that category(1). We at Little Hotels were delighted to discover there is such a thing as The Wine Olympics, quite aside from the subterfuge and intrigue!
Wine and Memory-Making
How does this all fit with Proust and you, dear Reader? Well here at Little Hotels, we love the idea of creating memories - holiday memories to be precise: the sun on your shoulders, the sea breeze in your hair, the laughter of your children. And we know that your olfactory senses can conjure these memories even on the dreariest day. So let’s explore some wonderful and really very special flavours that may take you back to that weekend in Spain, all those years ago….
Torres: Gran Coronas Mas La Planta
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo, Mosastrell
As mentioned above, this is the wine that snuck into the Olympics - and won! They say the nose is complex and enticing, with fruit integrity and minerality but slightly wild, with wet leaves - gamey with juniper and tobacco, yet with plenty of creamy blackcurrant fruit. The Gran Coronas Mas La Planta 1971 is said to be ravishingly smooth, with powerfully supportive and ravishing tannins and excellent length(2) A more contemporary Torres Mas La Planta can be found at Waitrose for around £35 a bottle.
Freixenet: Cuvee
Grapes: Macabeo, Xarel-lo, Parellada
Many people consider Spanish sparkling wines to be the poor man’s champagne and the sheer volume of bottles produced by Freixenet can put off the more discerning wine aficionado. Nevertheless, a properly chilled glass of cava with a plate of Queen olives and a little manchego will instantly bring a ray of sunshine into your home, often for less than £10 a bottle. And if you want really super-special, Freixenet’s Cuvee DS 2003 Vintage is one to look out for. It has a body and depth that are rarely found in a Cava made exclusively from the three traditional Catalan varieties.
Prioriat: Clos Erasmus 1998
Grapes: Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet-Sauvignon
This is considered a cult wine! In a region now filled with big names, Daphne Glorian is considered a wine-making Godmother. In the 1980s she is said to have sought out dry-farmed, old-vine Grenache, grown on steep slopes where the soil is mainly slate and planted some supplementary Syrah and Cabernet-Sauvignon. In 1989, all the grapes were fermented together then bottled separately, giving birth to a new Prioriat. Her boutique estate barely produces 140 cases each year so her first label, Clos Erasmus is understandably scarce - and expensive. It is said to be one of Spain’s greatest red wines: rich, powerful, dense and exotically perfumed(3). A younger sibling - the Lauren 2012 - offers sensational value at around £30 a bottle through suppliers such as HonestGrapes.co.uk.
Monsant: Venus, La Universal
Grapes: Carinena 50%, Syrah 50%
La Universal is the name of a 10-acre vineyard in Falset, planted with young Syrah on poor and acid granitic soil. They also purchase Carinena from 50- 80 year old vines from 5 local vineyards - all are farmed organically(2). The resultant Venus is dark in colour, the nose an olfactory delight, dominated by black fruit, toasty notes in the form of pain grillee, black olives and violets. Medium bodied, well balanced and with good acidity, it is supple with plenty of fruit and great length. The makers state “Venus is the result of our search for beauty. A trial to interpret femininity though a bottle of wine: mystery and seduction, articulacy and voluptuousness”. Available for £10-£15 a bottle though outlets such as Vinissimus.co.uk.
Of course, whether you’re relaxing at the end of a long day, or treating yourself to an extra special bottle for a pre-Valentines date, wine in and of itself is always a special occasion. Neither price nor pedigree can replace the warm rush of satisfaction from your first sip, when those holiday memories come swimming back and you very nearly almost feel the sun kiss your skin. Not long now til summer…. go on - start planning some new holiday memories!
(1) K. MacNeil (2001), The Wine Bible, Workman Publishing, ISBN 1-56305-434-5
(2) 1001 Wines You Must Try Before You Die, Cassell 2011, ISBN 978-1-84403-703-2
(3) Cellartours.com/Spain
10 Feb 2016, 12:36