Cider: EM EMILIO MARTINEZ SIGNATURE CIDER 2011
Maker: El Gobernador Origin: Villaviciosa, Asturias, Spain
website: www.sidraelgobernador.com
Importer: Rowan Imports website: rowanimports.com
ABV: 8% Bottle: 750 ml, champagne cork
Style Notes: Asturian sparkling cider, champagne method.
Fruit: Apples
Makers Fruit Notes: A blend of three hand picked PDO (Denominaciones de Origen Protegidas-protected designation of origin) certified heirloom cider apple varietals: Raxao (pictured), Regona, and Blanquina.
Tasting Notes: In The Glass: Pale straw, sparkling, dry, yeasty, winey, crisp green fruit, with “amargo”- a pleasant tart astringency.
Our Pairings – The Tasting Lab: We tried Saint Maure, a French Loire Valley goat cheese*
Cheesemonger’s Notes: Goat milk cheeses are an excellent choice. Try pairing with a tangy Boucheron, Vermont Butter and Cheese’s mixed goat and cows milk Cremont, a Catalonian Nevat, or an ash coated Mont Enebro, from Avila in Castilla y Leon. Don’t feel like goats milk cheese ? Try a young, supple, caramelly Gouda.
Overall Impressions: A sparkling cider traditionally served in Spain for holidays and celebrations. Try this instead of a cava, prosecco, or other sparkling wine. A festive drink with tapas, or mix it with blood orange juice for Spanish influenced take on a mimosa.
*This cider was part of a Murray’s Cheese tasting class, This Cider House Rules: Paring Cider and Cheese, in January of 2013. Rowan Imports was on hand to discuss this cider and Asturian cider making practices.
If you want to read a bit about apples used in Asturian cider visit this link http://www.sidradeasturias.es/variedades.php
Apple images from www.sidradeasturias.es
If you have tasting notes to add please leave a comment.
Wish I could get my hands on some Spanish Ciders here! I’ve had only one before and I remember really liking it!
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They are enjoyable. Here is a link to a piece by Chris Lehault at Serious Eats:Cider Press with some background, brand information and tasting notes http://drinks.seriouseats.com/2011/05/the-cider-press-spanish-sidra-cider-reviews.html
Hopefully you can find some more in BC/NW and try them again.
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Greetings. I am one of the owners of Rowan Imports, the company that represents Emilio Martinez and several other brands of Asturian ciders. Please feel free to get in touch with me at john.b.flores@rowanimports.com to discuss expanding to other markets.
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[…] When I told Brian what I had, he wasn’t surprised by my lack of information. He explained that St Sauveur des Basques was brand new to the Agour line of pasteurized sheep-milk cheeses. The washed rind has a fantastic bread-like quality with the characteristic pungent aromatics, similar to another fromage favorite, Jasper Hill’s Willoughby, except this is sheep and not cow. Beneath the sticky rind is a beautiful pale runny paste with nutty, rich, tangy, flavors that build with each bite. Brian suggested pairing St Sauveur with a Spanish Cider like Emilio Martinez. […]
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