Bottled
Up in The Baja
In
this issue, we’ll plug you into two of the small, artisanal
producers of the good juice from Mexico Lindo. Both have their operations
in the Ensenada area in the Baja Norte.
Roganto
Winery (officially, “Vides Y Vinos Californianos”) is
located in downtown Ensenada in a most unlikely place. As a matter
of fact, we got lost trying to find them. After driving up and down
a busy main drag, we finally found them in a small building behind
a water well services business. Seems the winery is located behind
the water pumps! Go figure! (Owners are the same….vineyards
are out in the country south of Ensenada). “Roganto” takes
its name from the first few letters of the first names of the partners,
Rogelio Sanchez and Antonio Luis Escalante.
The
very affable Antonio gives us a private tour (the winery is not open
to the public) of a very modern, but modest sized winemaking operation.
1987 marked the first vintage (Antonio says “it was like a wine
you might make in your garage”), of only about 200 cases which
they just gave away to friends. The response was so positive “Tony”
and his partner decided to go commercial with the 2001 vintage, buying
all of their production from various growers in the area. Since then,
they have owned their vineyards.
Cabernet
Sauvignon and Tempranillo are the”stars” here. Deep, dark,
packed with fat, intense, high extract flavors of blackberries, plums,
walnuts, sweet oak, and spices, these beauties add new meaning to
the word, “Wow”! Roganto bottles these reds separately
and as blends.
Vino
blancos were added to the product line in recent years. We tasted
an absolutely delicious pair, a Sauvignon Blanc, bursting with honeysuckle
aromas, flavors of melon and sweet spices, and a steely crisp, citrusy,
non-oaked Montrachet-style Chardonnay that had a finish from here
to Christmas!
Roganto
Winery has it going! In a recent tasting held by top Mexican wine
gurus, its Tempranillo was voted the 2nd best in the country!
Pau Pijoan
Winery was a bit of a challenge to find. Not visible from the main
road, no sign to mark the turn off on a dirt road leading to the winery.
But hey, that’s why cell phones were invented! Finally, by “take[ing]
the first left dirt road past the horse farm”, and “turn
at the next dirt road”, we finally found Pau and his winery!
Pau Pijoan
Aguade, a retired research veterinarian whose family roots go back
to the Barcelona area in Spain, produces a wide range of varietals
(12) which goes into making five different wines, all with a Spanish
flair. We tasted the four named after his wife and three daughters.
I noticed
no vineyards the area, and wondered about that until Pau informed
me that all of his grapes are outsourced. He keeps his operation small
at 1600 cases per year, almost all sold in the Mexico City area.
Mare
(wife) is a robust Zinfandel blend of 2/3 Zin, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon,
with balance Merlot. Rich, flavorful, and intense with great mouthfeel
and a long finish, she was a big glass of wine. Maybe she’s
a big girl!
Silvana
is a tasty blend of Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, and Muscatel and offered
pretty floral notes on a framework of crisp, clean flavors. A “patio
wine”, made for easy sippin’ as an aperitif or with light
foods.
Paulinha
is a Beaujolais Noveau style blend of Zin, Petite Sirah, and Merlot
and comes across that way. Light, fruity, with candy flavors, I found
it to be a little bubble-gummy and innocuous. I’m sure Paula,
the wines namesake, isn’t that way!
Dominica
must be a big girl ‘cause she got us back on track with a full-figured
blend of Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petite Sirah. An interesting
nose of perfume led onto a dark fruit bomb in the mouth, followed
by a long finish. Dominica spends 13 months in oak, and tips the scales
at 15.5% alcohol. She was clearly the star of the show!
It shows
to go you what is happening right here in Mexico Lindo!
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