FOOD & DRINK
31
JULY 2023
M ASTE R & COM M AN D E R
WINES Master & Commander Wines is named after the brilliant Patrick O’Brien novel that begins with the chance meeting, in April 1800, at the Governor’s Palace in Mahon, of its two central characters, Captain Jack Aubrey, and Stephen Maturin his Irish/ Catalan friend, naval surgeon and gentleman spy for the British government.
THIS MONTH: SA CUDIA WHITE & TORRALBENC ROSE Hello everyone! Today is the second in a series of wine recommendations intended to bring pleasure and insights to all wine drinkers, both experts and beginners. I only write about wines that are available in Menorca and give special attention to wines that display a unique sense of place, a singular style and that send the senses soaring!
oak, lingering acidity and a long, long, vibrant fruit finish. The creamy, but taught elegant texture is memorable, not heavy, and allows the wine to accompany many dishes of fish, veal and cheeses, but is probably at its best when paired with the island’s famous dish, Menorca Lobster stew, Caldereta de Langosta.
DRINK FROM NOW THROUGH 2033
In my June article I was pleased to recommend the wonderful Menorcan red, Muntpalau 2016, a wine that stylistically brings together the best qualities of traditional barrel aged Rioja, mature Priorat and fine Bordeaux. Having started by choosing the best Menorcan red wine, vigorously Spanish with a touch of France, I have now selected the best white, Sa Cudia Barrel Fermented Malvasia, and the best rosé, Torralbenc Rosé. Both are ultra-limited cuvees so be quick to find and buy them! Both are quite French in style, with great fruit definition, little or no oak and a finely balanced palate. Nomad white Burgundy and Provence rosé. The same quality at a fraction of the price!
WHERE TO BUY: CATOHET, Tienda Gourmet, C/S’Olivar, 4, Mahon Poligono, 20,93€/Bottle, and in many top restaurants such as Sa Punta, Es Castell.
SA CUDIA BARREL FERMENTED 2022
Nothing could be more deliciously refreshing than this vibrant local Rosé – like diving into our pale blue Menorcan sea in July or August. Made from Monastrell, Syrah and Merlot fermented separately in small stainless-steel tanks and blended before bottling, this is a tour de force in winemaking. It out-performs many top Provence Rosés given its knife edge balance of ripe delicate fruit and Miocene acidity! Only 4.000 bottles are made each year of Torralbenc Rosé which compares to over 5.000.000 bottles of Whispering Angel so it’s clear where the consistent quality will be found!
If you are looking for a Menorcan white that tastes like a top white Burgundy, (Puligny Montrachet), look no further than Sa Cudia Barrel Fermented 2022. Although it’s a 100% Malvasia cuvee (one of the oldest Mediterranean grapes) with no Chardonnay, you will find the similarities clear, particularly in its delicately balanced ripe fruit, lively acidity and rich texture that comes from being part fermented in 225 litre French oak barrels. Although the winemaking is important in this world class white wine, the real key is the cool, wild and wind swept 40-year-old vineyard planted on light Devonian shist soil near Favàritx, making it, by my definition of the geological divide that runs between Mahon and Ciudadella, a North coast Menorcan wine. Dry and ecologically farmed, the winery produces low yield, but high-quality Malvasia fruit, and only 6,000 bottles of Sa Cudia are made each year. The 2022 I tasted was bottle number 459 from a bottling of 3,360 so Burgundian in micro plot production also. Pale straw yellow in colour, Sa Cudia reaches out to us with an attractive aroma of limes, ripe white peaches and hints of toast and vanilla. The palate is beautifully balanced, with ripe apricot fruit to the fore, balanced by a touch of French
TORRALBENC ROSÉ 2022 Having chosen 2 wines from the North coast, Muntpalau and Sa Cudia I now turn to the South coast (and the hard Calcaeric stone soils from the Miocene geological period,) for what I believe is the best Menorcan Rosé. Torralbenc Rosé is made at the luxury Hotel/restaurant and vineyard, Torralbenc, near Cala en Porter, founded in 2011 with the first vintage dating back to 2016.
Pale rose petal in colour, the Torralbenc Rosé 2022 offers a beguiling aroma of red berry fruit with delicate hints of lavender and thyme. On the palate there is a plenty of fruit, pomegranate and red berries, well integrated acidity and a refreshing finish that goes on and on. I recommend you don´t over chill this wine to appreciate it at its best, c. 8ºC (like the Sa Cudia too) and enjoy as a wonderful aperitif with classic Menorcan cured meat and cheese, or with grilled Menorcan fish such as Cap Roig (Scorpion fish) or Mero (Grouper).
DRINK NOW THROUGH 2024 WHERE TO BUY: Direct from Torralbenc. info@torralbenc.com. 971 377211. 23,00€/Bottle
ROQ U E TA M AGA ZI N E . N E T
