Something about Elena

I first noticed it during an extensive tasting of rieslings from Terry Theise portfolio. Most of the wines (grower champagnes included) were either organic or biodynamic and there was a similarity among all of them...vibrance, lift and a clear presence of high tones. There was just something "lively" about them.

One of the most recent wines in the Row 95 portfolio to go Organic is the Campos de Risca. Though from the "Campos" group, the wine is from a small family estate in Jumilla run by the third generation, Elena Pacheco.

Risca are large broken limestone rocks of which their vineyard is entirely comprised. These suckers aren't the smooth rounded boulders of Chateauneuf, they are rough cut, jagged and virtually impossible to walk on. Nothing else lives there,...weeds, bugs, and frankly I don't know why anything would want to. Mourvedre, however, loves it...the heat, those stones, no competition from pesky weeds, as Goldilocks would say it's jussst right.

It's no surprise that the grapes have always been farmed organically. Thanks to the EU they are just now officially so. The wine, 90% Mourvedre and 10% Syrah has that special something about it... in addition to the framboise-drenched, herb and redfruit flavors, there is an inherent freshness, purity and high tone quality. These are traits one wouldn't typically use to describe Jumilla wines. But they exist in the Campos de Risca. Perhaps there is a hidden "soul" to the fruit which is preserved when grown in an organic or biodynamic way.

Whatever it is, this wine has that special something. And the really good news it can be had for under 15 bucks a bottle.

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