6-0? Is that a new way of rating excellent wines? Has the Areilza system finally arrived to render Parker’s scores obsolete?

As readers of this blog will know, I have always refused to give points to wine: I just document my passion very good ones, describe the context in which I found them and connect my discoveries to other good things in life .

So why 6-0?

A few months ago, as I was about to turn sixty, a friend and tennis champion told me that I should think of this milestone as a wonderful first set tennis score, 6-0. Ever since I have celebrated the beginning of my sixth decade in different places, including Lisbon, Madrid and Ronda.

In Lisbon my dear Miguel Alvaro de Campos, co-founder of this blog, introduced me to Quinta da Alameda Torreao 2023, an amazing white wine from the Dao region made by Patricia Santos with encruzado and arinto local grapes (23 euros). It is so well made that reconciles you with the passing of time.

In Madrid, I had a wonderful dinner with some very old friends at the restaurant La Ancha in Zorrilla street. We shared summer stories and toasted to many more years of walking together. We drank Palacio de Villachica 2021, a crianza from Toro, (16 euros) strong, bold and interesting, perhaps like we used to be.

Finally in Ronda this past weekend we took a well deserved break during an Aspen seminar and had some outstanding tapas at the legendary tavern La Catapa. Our waiter recommended a young Garnacha from Ronda, called Pampaneando, the new-new thing of the Huerto de la Condesa winery (14 euros). It was a great companion to our conversation, full of red fruit and chutzpah. Don´t miss it!