18 January 2010

2004 Can Feixes Penedès Blanc Selecció

After the holidays, I think it's a good idea to dig through the cellar, closet, or pantry and clear out any young, inexpensive wines that might have been forgotten. At some point things are liable to get lost in the shuffle, and not every wine benefits from years of aging. Case in point:

The 2004 Can Feixes Penedès Blanc Selecció from northeast Spain near Barcelona on an estate founded in 1768. $14, 11.5% abv. Made from 40% Parellada, 30% Macabeo, 20% Chardonnay and 10% Malvasía de Sitges.

There's an asparagus-like nose combined with an earthy, grassy quality. I'm not going to say that this aroma will be appealing to everyone, but it's decidedly Old World in its approach. After an initial crisp, acidic flavor, other fruit like honeydew melon and white peach begin to appear.

This one was a little unbalanced, and I think might have been better a couple of years ago. The current release is the 2008, and comes much more highly recommended from friends that have had it.

Served with something Jason's Deli calls a Chicago Club: smoked turkey breast, bacon, smoked red pepper-cilantro aioli spread, organic spinach, roma tomatoes and provolone on herb foccacia, all things that scream "Chi-Town" to me. Teasing aside, it's actually a tasty little sandwich and goes well with a white wine.

5 comments:

Joe said...

I like those "Cava" grapes in a still wine (the "René Barbier Catalunya Mediterranean White NV" is often my go-to for cooking at $6, but it's not bad at all to drink, especially for that price). I could see how these have no aging (ageing?) potential, so a 2004 may have been a little weird. Yes, weird. These are the kinds of half-baked descriptors I use.

Benito said...

Joe,

Sometimes you luck out on the cheap wine that aged beautifully, but more often it's a disappointment. I remember early on I thought older automatically meant better, and would search through wine shops for some forgotten bottle. Ended up with a lot of strange wine that way.

Cheers,
Benito

Michael Hughes said...

I adore this wine. Definitely try a more recent vintage, like you said, because it has been a fave of mine for years.

Benito said...

Michael,

I'll certainly give it another try with a younger vintage. I love Spanish wines and with the weather warming up, it's the perfect time to enjoy bottles like this.

Cheers,
Benito

Jon O said...

I just had the 2008 vintage a few weeks ago. Great minerality and acidity. One if the best white I have had this year. I also had Jose Pariente Verdejo 2008 last month. Give that one a shot! Check out my blog if you get a second http://vawino.blogspot.com

Thanks
Jon O