GOLD MEDAL WINE CLUB

Taste the Adventure!Spain

Many international wine experts have pointed towards Spain as the most dynamic wine country in Europe at present, with the country showing no tendency to reverse its progress in the foreseeable future. Spain has always been a steady, if not spectacular, producer of wine through the last 2000 plus years. Ever since the Romans introduced vines to Spain, a steady stream of wine has

originated from its multi-faceted soils. Now, with a strong group of young entrepreneurial Spanish winemakers to fuel its

expansion, Spain has climbed amongst the world’s elite winemaking countries. None other than the Wine Spectator magazine wrote, referring to these young Spanish winemakers, “They want to prove that Spain is not just a source for value, but a land with incredible terroirs.” What some of these winemakers have done (including one of our featured wines) is traveled back to the origins of Spanish winemaking to discover some of the original varietals and growing places that have been dispensed with

through the ages. Many of these locations are in pristine condition awaiting the advances of modern winemaking techniques to enhance their natural environs.

The reputation of high caliber Spanish wines has soared in recent years. For a long time, only Vega Sicilia was mentioned as a ‘great’ Spanish wine. Now there are hundreds of small production wines available throughout the world, at prices below their French and Italian counterparts. For the most part, these wines still represent an excellent price/value relationship, but who knows just how long that scenario will last. Top-flightSpanishwinesareheretostayandwillincreaseinnumberandstatue as exposure increases and other top European wine prices continue to spiral out of control. We are happy to present this trio of fine Spanish wines for our International Series members. Enjoy!

WITH AGES OF WINEMAKING TRADITION, SPAIN CONTINUES TO

GROW WITH UNPRECEDENTEDQUALITY, DIVERSITY, AND VALUE.

Vina BujandaRegion: La Rioja

Grapes from two sub regions of the great Rioja (north central Spain), the Rioja Alta and the Rioja Alavesa comprise this unique selection. Located on the western edge of the region and at higher elevations than the other areas, the Rioja Alta is known more for its "old world" style of wine. A higher elevation for the vines equates to a shorter growing season, which in turn produces brighter fruit flavors and awine that is lighter onthe palate. Despite sharing a similar climate to its sister region the Alta Rioja, the Rioja Alavesa produces wines with a fuller body and degrees of higher acidity. Most vineyards are planted with low density that allows for more spacing between rows. Primary factor is the relatively poor conditions of the soil that necessitate the vines, requiring more distance from each other to properly utilize nutrients in the surrounding soil.

Bodegas LedaRegion: Ribera del Duero

Located in the Ribera del Duero DO, this region is situated on Spain’s extensive, elevated northern plateau. Wine production

here traces its roots back to the Roman occupation some 2,000 years prior. Wines are almost exclusively red and here the great Tempranillo grape is dominant.SpecificterroirsmakeDuerowines different from their neighbors in the Rioja, but both share the pleasures of intensity and long age. The Duero Valley, formed during the Mioceneperiod,hasaflat,rocky,gentlyundulating terrain, ranging from 3,000 feet down to 2,500 above sea level. The Tempranillo grape is supreme here also, and produces spectacular

fruit from older vines. Bodegas Leda has abundant older vines from mountainside slopes abovethefieldsandterracesliningtheDueroRiveronitssouthwesterlycourse.Thesoils tend to be warmer, a fact that makes ripening of the Tempranillo grape easier.

Bodegas Telmo RodriguezRegion: Valdeorras

The region for this wine is Valdeorras, the eastern most wine zone in the province of Galicia. The spot is almost 90 miles from the Atlantic Coastline along the banksoftheRiverSil.LegendhasitthatValdeorraswasSpain’sfirstwineproducingregion during Roman times. The climate here is cooler, with abundant rain that had made it a center for white wine production during recent times. Valdeorras’ DO was awarded as recently as 1977 owing to the area’s physical isolation and unfamiliarity as a wine producer outside of Spain itself. Its climate is both Atlantic and continental, while the Sil Valley also enjoysaspecificmicroclimateduetoitsexcellent moisture retention. Most of the vines in the Valdeorras are planted at a height of between 775 feet to 1,050 feet above sea level.

Planted to more than 2.9 million vineyard acres, Spain is the world's most widely planted wine producing nation. Over 400 different wine grape varieties are planted throughout the country, from the cooler green, rolling hills in the north to the hot, arid expanses in the south. Spain is highly influenced by the vast Central Plateau that covers much of the central land area. From here, several of Spain's principal rivers flow to sea and are at the heart of many of the country's wine regions. In addition to the Central Plateau, mountain ranges in the northern and eastern regions isolate and influence the climate of several of Spain's top wine regions. Another factor is elevation - overall, Spain is an elevated plateau with many of its vineyards planted at nearly 3,000 feet above sea level. The wine from these regions are among the best in the world! Spain's most significant wine regions are called out here:

WINE REGIONS OF SPAIN

Northwest Spain Rias Baixas Ribeiro ValdeorrasDuero River Valley Rueda Toro Ribera del Duero LeonEbro River Valley Rioja NavarraMediterranean Coast Valencia Catalonia MurciaCentral Plateau La ManchaAndalucia Montilla-Moriles Jerez-Xeres Sherry

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THE FLAG OF SPAINThe current flag of Spain was adopted December 19, 1981 with three horizontal stripes and Spain's coat of arms in the center. The Spanish coat of arms symbolizes the country, the old kingdoms of Spain, the Royal Crown,

the Imperial Crown, the Constitutional monarchy, the Spanish national motto: Plus Ultra, and the Pillars of Hercules with the Spanish geographic situation. The origin of the current flag is the naval ensign of 1785, which remained marine for much of the next 50 years, flying over coastal fortresses, marine barracks, and other naval property. In 1843, the flag became official and has since had changes made to the coat of arms. The color scheme has remained in tact since the beginning.

Salud!

Spain: Fun Facts!

The name Spain comes from the word Ispania, which means 'land of rabbits.'

Spanish is the second most spoken language in the world, with over 329 million native speakers worldwide.

Grapes are the third biggest crop in Spain after cereal and olives.

Spain is the number one ranked country in the world in terms of area covered by vineyards.

Spain's vineyards have a low yield (because of the dry climate), which makes the country only third in production behind France and Italy.

Spain is the number one producer of olive oil in the world with 44% of the world's olive oil production.

Football/soccer is Spain's most important sport.SpainwonitsfirstWorldCupfootballtitle in 2010, which made the country the 8th country to have ever won.

Spain has the second highest number of bars per inhabitants, behind Cyprus.

One of Spain's most famous festivals is the Running of the Bulls. It occurs on St. Fermin's Day in July in the northern town of Pamplona. Over 1 million people attend the festival each year.

Spain is the second largest country in Western Europe after France and the second most mountainous after Switzerland.

When a child loses a tooth in Spain, rather than having a visit from the 'Tooth Fairy,' a small mouse named 'Ratoncito Perez' leaves a surprise under the pillow.

The oldest known cave painting is found in the Cave of El Castillo in northern Spain. Researchers estimate the painting to be over 40,000 years old.

Photos, top to bottom, left to right:• Vineyard workers hand harvest grapes for Bodegas Leda in the Duero Valley of Spain.

• The grand entrance of Rioja's Vina Bujanda winery. The estate may have been founded in 2009, but the owners follow in the footsteps of four generations of Spanish winemakers.

• Valdeorras is a Spanish Denominacion de Origen (DO) for wines produced from vines located on the banks of the river Sil in the southern province of Galicia, Spain. Valdeorras is best known for the white varietal Godello and the red varietal Mencia.

• Bodegas Leda's wines are produced from very old vines that grow in a range of unique terriors in the Duero Valley.

“Bringing you the bestsmall wineries since 1992”

Vina Bujanda The brother /sister team of Carlos and Pilar Martinez Bujanda Iribarria own Vina Bujanda that was established in the small village of Oyon near the City of Logrono in Spain’s esteemed Rioja region. While this undertaking is relatively young (founded in 2009), the family has been making wines for more than a century. CarlosandPilararethefifthgenerationto

be involved in the family wine business. They carry on the ideals established in 1889 by founder Joaquin Martinez-Bujanda. TheRiojawasthefirstregiontoachieveDO(appellation)status in 1925 and was promoted to DOCa in 1991, a much more specificappellation.Fruitcomesfromanestatethatconsistsof14separate parcels ranging from 20 – 60 years old. Grapes from both theRiojaAltaandRiojaAlavesasub-regionsarepartofthefinalblends of this unique wine. TheAtlanticinfluenceismoreprominentintheRiojaAltathan the Rioja Alavesa and provides a balanced set of factors that make this classic wine extremely complex and enduring.

The Winemaker: Lauren Rosillo Lauren Rosillo holds multiple agricultural degrees including enology from the University Miguel Hernandez in Alicante, Spain. He has published numerous papers related to grapes, soils and other related subjects. He is currently working on his doctoral thesis in enology. Rosillo was formerly winemaker at Bodega Manuel Mananeque in the Albacete Province before joining Familia Martinez Bujanda as its winemaker and technical director.

Bodegas Leda The location for this winery is the Duero Valley, one of Spain’s premier wine producing regions. A 19th century manor house serves as the winery on the main street of the town of Tudela de Duero. The association of the Mariano Garcia and Jose Masaveu Families brought this dream to fruition back in 1998. Leda wines enjoy the appellation of Castilla y Leon with location in Valladolid, a part of the Tudela de Duero Region. The name Leda derives from Greek tradition and honors Spartan King Tyndareus’s wife Leda, who was the daughter of the King of Aetolia. The Leda concept is unique, and utilizes multi-terroir-sourcing rather than single terroir. Small plots of Tempranillo vines that average less than 2 ½ acres each are utilized in making the Leda. Some of the vineyards are more than 100 years old and are planted in poor, deep soils and produce very light yields. These vines are constantly monitored and little intervention is given - their production uses only natural farming methods.

The International Series features specially-selected, imported hard-to-find winesof the world for members of the Gold Medal Wine Club.

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three world-class spanish producers walk the line between tradition and innovation in the country's most dynamic wine chapter yet.

Only 6,600 cases of this wine are made annually, small by European production standards. Only Tempranillo, the quintessential Spanish grape, is used in the production of Leda wines. It is aged for 30 months in barrel.

The Winemaker: Eduardo Garcia Eduardo Garcia studied in France (Lycee Agricole de Blanquefort and Faculte d Oenologie) as well as in Spain (Escuela de la Vid and el Vino de Requena) and has worked in wineries in Bordeaux, Burgundy and California. He follows in the footsteps of his famous father, Mariano Garcia, who was winemaker at Vega Sicilia (Spain’s most famous winery) for more than 30 years. In Spain, Eduardo has toiled at the Bodegas Aalto and Bodegas Mauro, two highly recognized wineries. He is considered an expert on the Tempranillo varietal, Spain’s premier grape.

Bodega Telmo Rodriguez Gaba (Basque for evening) do Xil (A tributary of the River Sil) denotes thefirsttimeowner/winemakerTelmoRodriguez set foot in this primitive valley in the Valdeorras region. The wine is made from the Godello grape, one of Spain’s ancient varietals. It is made from a specific vineyard, La Falcoeira (The Falcon), in the town of Santa Cruz that was abandoned some 200 years ago after the phylloxera epidemic devastated most of Europe’s vineyards. Valdeorras is correctly Val de Oras (Roman for gold bearing valley) where soils are a slightly acidic mineral blend of slate and granite, mixed with some clay and sand. The area is dry during the summer (called Continental Atlantic) and relatively cold for grape bearing vines. The place is dotted with chestnut trees mixed with rockrose and old granitic terraces that host the vineyards. The vineyards that produce the Gaba do Xil are bio-dynamically farmed and bush-trained in the traditional Spanish method of farming. Vineyards face south, west and northwest and produce very limited yields. Wines are fermented in steel tanks to preserve the clarity and freshness of the fruit.

The Winemaker: Telmo Rodriguez Another product of French winemaking, Telmo Rodriguez studied viticulture and enology at the University of Bordeaux. After completing his studies, he became the winemaker at his family’s winery, Bodega Rodriguez in the Rioja region, located in Remelluri. Bodega Rodriguez started making wines in 1937 and has been a prominent winery for almost 75 years. Telmo left his family’s operation in the early 1990’s to discover new vineyards andregionsthroughoutSpain.Hewasamongthefirsttomakewines in Toro, Rueda, Valdeorras, Malaga, Alicante and Cigales. As such, he is considered as one of the leaders of the Spanish quality revolution that has propelled Spain’s ascent into the upper echelons of international wine production.

To produce Leda's 2005 Vinas Viejas, Tempranillo grapes were selected from multiple vineyard sites in the Duero Valley of Spain. With a unique range of soil types represented, this wine has a multidimensional sense of place and only the most expressive and naturally concentrated grapes from each site wereselectedforthefinalblend.Thevinesrangeinagefrom50to100yearsold and represent a more traditional expression of Tempranillo. With intense aromas of black minerals, wild forest berries and balsamic undertones, this 2005 Vinas Viejas is ample and concentrated on the palate with smooth tannins,acreamytexture,andaverylongfinish.Thisisanexcellentwineandtheperfectreflectionofthegreatpotentialoftheoldvineyardsfromthe esteemed Duero Valley. Aged 20 months in oak. Enjoy now until 2018.

Telmo Rodriguez 2013 Gaba do Xil (100% Godello)Valdeorras region

Vina Bujanda 2010 Crianza (100% Tempranillo)Rioja region

The 2013 Gaba do Xil is a white wine produced from 100% Godello in the northern Valdeorras region of Spain. Here, winemaker Telmo Rodriguez selected a vineyard named La Falcoeira that was located in the town of Santa Cruz. It is an ancient vineyard planted with a mixture of varieties, but Telmo has focused his work here on the native variety, Godello. This grape has a distinctiveandexhilaratingprofilethatcomesthroughinTelmoRodriguez'sGabadoXil.Theflavorsfeatureadominantmineralnote,surroundedbyacomplexarrayofpeaches,limes,flowers,andevenherbalandspicenotes.The texture of the wine grabs your attention as well, with a round and almost viscousbodythatfinisheswithcleanandvibrantnotes.Godelloisanexcellentpairing with seafood. Enjoy now until 2018.

Leda 2005 Vinas Viejas (100% Tempranillo)Duero Valley region

The Vina Bujanda 2010 Crianza is made from 30-year-old Tempranillo vines ground in the Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa vineyards in Spain's world famous Rioja region. A wine termed 'Crianza' means that it was aged for at least two years, and at least one of those years was spent in oak barrels. Crianza is a qualityclassificationlevelintheRiojaregion.Brightrubyincolor,this2010Crianza has attractive aromas of wild strawberry, clove, pepper, vanilla and leather.Onthepalate,thewinehasexcellentbalancewithfreshflavorsofstrawberry, spice, rich cherry, and just a hint of tobacco. Try pairing the Vina Bujanda 2010 Crianza with cured ham, paellas, and spicy beef dishes. Aged 12 months in oak, 12 months in bottle. 100% Tempranillo. Enjoy now until 2018.

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90 POINTS - Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate

91 POINTS - Wine Enthusiast

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93 POINTS - Wine Spectator

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2009

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