Day 2 (Part 2): Bodegas Borsao and Jamon Iberico

We leave Alto Moncayo and head a few kilometers east to the town of Borja to visit Bodegas Borsao.  The town’s origins date back to the 4^th century BC, when the Celtiberian inhabitants called their settlement Bursao.  For much of the Middle Ages, it was part of the kingdom of Aragon.  The winery, located near the town center, was established in 1958 as a cooperative and since incorporation in 2001 includes the local Pozuelo and Tabuenca cooperatives.   

After a short tour, we’re invited to taste through the current Borsao portfolio including the sumptuous 2009 Borsao Tres Picos (rated 92 points in the Wine Advocate), made from 100% old-vine Grenache.  This wine is currently available at your local ABCFWS and a super bargain at $15.99.  Top to bottom, the quality of each offering is very good.  I listed all the wines in their lineup as “recommended” in my tasting notes. 

Lunch is back in Zaragoza at a restaurant called Boliche.  We enjoy tapas outside while sipping Borsao Rosado (dry roses like this one are ideal for finger foods on a hot afternoon).  A procession of croquetas, gildas (olive, white anchovy and guindilla peppers), and gambas a la plancha (pan-seared shrimp) is supplemented by the star attraction: a 2007 Joselito Gran Reserva Jamon Iberico de Bellota brought to the restaurant by Jorge Ordonez.  It’s the dry cured ham of my life!! 

Please allow me to wax poetically here for a moment.  For the uninitiated, Jamon Iberico de Bellota is the king of dry cured hams and, until recently, not available in the US.  What differentiates Iberico from another quality Spanish ham, Jamon Serrano, is the pig that the ham comes from.  Iberico comes from the Pata Negra (black footed) pig.  In Spain there are different grades of Iberico as well, with Bellota at the top of the pyramid. For a Bellota ham, Pata Negra is allowed to roam free-range in oak forests and consumes only acorns and natural grasses as its diet.  The hams are cured with only sea salt for a minimum of 36 months.  The flavor is immense: slightly sweet, rich, nutty and creamy due to the high fat content (the fat is slightly golden in color).  It starts to melt as it’s sliced and really does melt in your mouth!   As good as real Italian Prosciutto di Parma is, it’s not Jamon Iberico de Bellota.  Same goes for top notch Jamon Serrano.  In fact, it’s probably not fair to compare it to any other ham.  It’s more on the level of Beluga caviar or White Truffles.  Absolutely sublime!    

Tapas and Jamon segue to lunch and a wine tasting inside the restaurant.  Lunch!?  I’m already stuffed with Jamon!  Oh, well!  We all sit down and sample the top wines of Alto Moncayo including the 2007 Aquilon (95 points Wine Advocate) and the just-bottled 2009 Alto Moncayo (equally impressive).  It’s a hint of things to come on this trip.  Vintage 2009 is shaping up to be a fantastic year throughout Spain.

Coming next time: Navarra, Bodegas Nekeas, and a nice steak

Jim Greeley, Wine Supervisor, SW Florida