Tinto Pesquera

I have been searching this wine for a while. In fact, when I visited Spain last year (it was just like yesterday!) I also tried to ask around. Unfortunately I was only staying in a small town called Calahorra which basically has very few shops (and I cannot speak Spanish!) to be able to find this. So really a big surprise when I found it when I walked into a shop in CWB (and bump into a big HK movie star and his Miss HK wife - you guess who la...).

This vineyard was owned by Alejandro Fernandez and family, planting with 100% Tempranillo. Located in Ribera del Duero, people sometimes compared this vineyard with Vega Sicilia for producing wines of good quality at a reasonable price. Born in 1932, Fernandez has worked in different areas before finally ending in the winery to fufill his dream of making a world-class wine. He released his first wine in 1975, but unlike the other Spanish wines which were aged in the bodega before releasing matured, Pesquera was designed to be aged in bottle.

In 1989, with his success Fernandez built a new bodgea called Contado de Haza, which produces over 60,000 cases per year. Recently he expanded his empire to Toro and purchased a nearly 2,000 acre estate. Because of his success, the Spanish government granted official DO status to Ribera del Duero in 1982. And can you imagine he did not receive any formal education on oenology?

Janus is only produced in exceptional good years, so really quite rare to find. Since the first vintage (1982) up to now there are only eight other vintages. So when you do find one in HK, please let me know! I am going to try this tonight with some wine enthusiasts. Really looking forward to that!

Below is my tasting note for the 1994 Janus (the cork is rotten and broken upon opening):

Wine: Bodegas Alejandro Fernandez Tinto Pesquera, Janus
Region / Country: Ribera del Duero, Spain
Vintage: 1994
Grape: 100% Tempranillo
ABV: 13%
Price: HK$1980
Tasting Date: 18 June 2011

Official website: http://www.pesqueraafernandez.com/english/index.htm

Appearance: Clear, deep garnet colour with paler rims and legs

Nose: Clean with medium (+) intensity and developing aromas of prune, savory, leather, mushroom, taro, coffee and tea leaves.

Palate: Dry with medium acidity, medium and rounded tannin. Medium alcohol and medium body, showing medium (+) intensity flavors of taro, mushroom, leather, savory, coffee and prune. Medium (+) length.

Conclusion: Excellent quality Tempranillo with really complex and intense nose and flavors. Very interesting taro characters on both nose and palate. Also with good length in the finish. Ready to drink now but is approaching the life of the wine so should drink it within next 1-2 years.