Helix 2005
Name wine: Helix 2005
Type: Oak aged red wine
Winery: Aranleón, D.O. Utiel-Requena
AVIN: 4599692313117
Used on event: Vino Valencia Wine Night at Ginger Loft, November 18, 2009
Sold in these shops: only available to the Círculo de Amigos de Aranleón
This is a limited edition wine (just 3,772 individually numbered bottles) launched last month and normally only available to friends of the Círculo de Aranleón. It aims to reflect that relaxed intimacy, in its natural smoothness and the relaxed confidence of its blend of French and Spanish grape varieties: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Tempranillo, 20% Merlot and 10% Bobal.
This slightly older wine was a dark and deep in the glass, with lighter tones of violet at the rim. We opened to taste and were seduced by a combination of fruits and a mineral (slate, someone said) background, followed by a smooth intensity in the mouth, combining the cool structure of the Cabernet Sauvignon with a richness and warmth that underplayed the 14.5% ABV.
Green apples were spotted in among the red fruit, and it was a wine that kept opening up in the course of the tasting. It will keep for a good few years, and if you’re ever rummaging for it in the dark, it has a Braille label like all the wines from this progressive bodega.
Vino Valencia Tasting Notes
Appearance: A dark, deep red with violet hues at the edge of the glass.
Nose: Fruits of the forest, with a mineral background. More aromas kept appearing in the course of the tasting. We ended up talking about green apples on slate.
Palate: An initial smooth, velvety (bottle says silk), intensity followed by a rich, yet structured, warmth,. There was a touch of sweetness, but always with that minerals presence underpinning the fruit. The longer it was open, the more flavours came up, tones of oak, a chewy and fruity kind of marshmallow
Ginger Loft food thoughts: They are looking for something that will allow the complexity of the wine to express itself, but which in turn evokes its elegance with that touch of sweetness. They suggested they might work with a savoury dish with a bit of dried fruit. I can’t wait to see.
