L’Essència 2006

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Name wine: L’Essència 2006

Type: Young red wine

Winery: Bodegas Sánchez Zahonero, D.O. Valencia

AVIN: 7147636463670

Used on event: Vino Valencia Wine Night at Tahine, December 16, 2009

Sold in these shops:
• Beals cash & carry – 8,29€
• Bodegas Santander – 8,29€
• El Mostagan – 8,75€
• La Carta des Vins – 7,95€

This is a brand new bodega, and a wine of appropriate youth and vigour. It is the first vintage produced by the young winemaker Alfonso Sánchez Zahonero, and he has set himself a high standard to maintain.

It has already won a gold medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, which was held in Valencia in 2009. It is also made it onto the wine list of Valencia’s very grand and Michelin-starred La Sucursal restaurant.

This Tempranillo and Syrah blend is made from grapes sourced personally by Alfonso from vineyards around his native Siete Aguas, at an altitude of over 750 metres.

The wine spends 11 months in oak casks in what is essentially Alfonso’s family’s garage. It is exciting to taste what can be achieved with youthful enthusiasm, sound winemaking training and a totally “hands-on” attention to detail. It shows again that you can make really good wine without needing to inherit a winery.

Vino Valencia Tasting Notes

Appearance: Bright, lively, intense red, leaving thick tears on the sides of the glass on swirling.
Nose: Fruits of the forest, black currant, notable presence of oak and vanilla, hint of violets.
Palate: Tight, intense fruit, almost too much initially, but opened up well, with sweet tannins coming to the fore, to give a real mouthful, combining substance and finesse.
Tahine food thoughts: Something meaty, preferably stewed.