Spanish Wine

Modest and passionate about his vineyards, Abel and his wife Maite have been making understated wines in San Vicente since 1988.

Lying in the shadow of the Sierra Cantabria, Abel has vineyards in the finest parts of the Alavesa. His knowledge and understanding of the soils is enthralling and to taste in his cellar can be an education on the effects different soils have in different years. He wants only to express the fruit and the soil and unlike many Riojans, he leaves it more or less at that. He does not want to stamp the wines with any particular style or mark of his own other than his respect for the very natural quality of the grapes and for the magical places that they were grown.

Straw yellow. Intense aromas, floral, very perfumed, with good fruit expression in the foreground, and well integrated wood notes of balsamic and dried grass. In the mouth it has superb acidity with a bright, smooth, silky and pleasant finish.

Modest and passionate about his vineyards, Abel and his wife Maite have been making understated wines in San Vicente since 1988.

Lying in the shadow of the Sierra Cantabria, Abel has vineyards in the finest parts of the Alavesa. His knowledge and understanding of the soils is enthralling and to taste in his cellar can be an education on the effects different soils have in different years. He wants only to express the fruit and the soil and unlike many Riojans, he leaves it more or less at that. He does not want to stamp the wines with any particular style or mark of his own other than his respect for the very natural quality of the grapes and for the magical places that they were grown.

Cherry red, purple and traces of violet. Subtle notes of cocoa, liquorice, and balsamic. It enters the mouth dry and structured.

Modest and passionate about his vineyards, Abel and his wife Maite have been making understated wines in San Vicente since 1988.

Lying in the shadow of the Sierra Cantabria, Abel has vineyards in the finest parts of the Alavesa. His knowledge and understanding of the soils is enthralling and to taste in his cellar can be an education on the effects different soils have in different years. He wants only to express the fruit and the soil and unlike many Riojans, he leaves it more or less at that. He does not want to stamp the wines with any particular style or mark of his own other than his respect for the very natural quality of the grapes and for the magical places that they were grown.

A very classy and compelling wine. Deeply coloured with a pure, intense bouquet of crushed fruits, spice and oak. Elegant oak aging enhances the wine’s complexity and class.

Founded in 1987 but with a pedigree extending back 100 years, Emilio Moro was one of the first bodegas to put the region of Ribera del Duero on the map, so to speak. As their reputation grew, so did their vineyard holdings both in Ribera del Duero and elsewhere and we were delighted to encounter this gem towards the end of last year. El Zarzal is a real treat - 100% Godello from their Bierzo estate it has all the hallmarks of the house with notes of ripe stone fruit and dry flowers, harnessing varietal typicity and harmonious balance with 8 months in French oak foudre adding a beautifully integrated oak influence.

The nose has rich plum and blackcurrant pastille characters, with delicate vanilla spice and cedar. The palate is ripe, smooth and opulent with layers of pure blackcurrant, juicy blackberry, lush spicy plum and cherry fruit, minerality and complex fine tannins on the finish.

Ruby red colour. A clean nose with notes of balsamic and fine nuances of plum and clean oak. Intense spice and oak on layers of velvety cherry fruit and a slight hint of licquorice. Lasting rich fruit flavours with smooth round tannins. Complex and structured. A pleasant finish with red fruits and hints of eucalyptus.

Bodegas Luis Cañas

Ruby red with earthy colour notes. Elegant and complex in the nose with a good concentration of black fruit, thyme and rosemary with secondary aromas of leather and tobacco leaves. It is polished and rounded, making it pleasant and easy to drink. Fleshy with both elegance and power. It has touches of black fruit jam and liquorice warm, with a long, delicious and persistent finish.

Bodegas Luis Cañas

"A pure and nimble albillo, showing nuanced green fruit, flint and some grapefruit. Slightly neutral, but the creamy texture and the nice phenolic bite in the medium- bodied palate are impressive. There is a twist of mineral austerity in the finish, too. Imprressive. Drink Now." James Suckling 92 Points June 2022.

With a history of winemaking dating back to 1935, Cuatro Rayas are leaders in their field, producing almost 20% of all the white wine in DO Rueda. Now, the community of winemakers making up this co-operative boast over 300 members, with 2,400ha of land under vine, including 120-year-old pre-phylloxera ungrafted bush vines. With a modest amount of barrel-fermentation and lees ageing with battonage, this is quite textured and rich – really good with tapas.

The Gómez Cruzado winery dates back to 1886 when Angel Gómez de Arteche started to produce and bottle his own wine in Haro, at the very heart of Rioja Alta. This was in the day when the wine trade between Rioja and France passed along the Tudela-Bilbao line, and the key Rioja wineries were located around the station of Haro. The winery sits just 100m from the station to this day.

Produced from grapes cultivated in the highest parts of the Ebro valley. Predominantly Garncaha (65%) from Alto Nejerilla, in the area between the towns of Badarán, Cordovin and Cárdenas where the vines grow in red ferrous clay soils; and Tempranillo (35%) from Samaniego, and the white limestone soils of Sierra Cantabria. Hand-harvested into 200kg crates with a selection of bunches at the winery. Garnacha and Tempranillo are destemmed and vinified separately. They undergo cold fermentation with native yeasts, and a short maceration. Then the two wines are assembled and refined in concrete for around 5 months.

Bright and aromatic with cherry and berry characters and a hint of liquorice. The palate is complex with layers of plum, bramble and forest fruits, all supported by fine tannins, and long and elegant on the finish.

Bodegas Gomez Cruzado

Aromatic and intense, lovely aromas of wild red berries, blossom, nutmeg and hints of sandalwood. Fresh, fruity and well balanced with sensations of raspberries, vanilla and cinnamon.

Bodegas Manzanos

The Gómez Cruzado winery dates back to 1886 when Angel Gómez de Arteche started to produce and bottle his own wine in Haro, at the very heart of Rioja Alta. This was in the day when the wine trade between Rioja and France passed along the Tudela-Bilbao line, and the key Rioja wineries were located around the station of Haro. The winery sits just 100m from the station to this day.

The Gómez Cruzado winery dates back to 1886 when Angel Gómez de Arteche started to produce and bottle his own wine in Haro, at the very heart of Rioja Alta. This was in the day when the wine trade between Rioja and France passed along the Tudela-Bilbao line, and the key Rioja wineries were located around the station of Haro. The winery sits just 100m from the station to this day.

The Gómez Cruzado winery dates back to 1886 when Angel Gómez de Arteche started to produce and bottle his own wine in Haro, at the very heart of Rioja Alta. This was in the day when the wine trade between Rioja and France passed along the Tudela-Bilbao line, and the key Rioja wineries were located around the station of Haro. The winery sits just 100m from the station to this day.

One of Gomez Cruzado's ‘Terroir Selection’, Pancrudo is an expression of selected vineyards around Badarán, in southern Rioja Alta. Here the high elevation, limited yield, red iron-rich soil, northern exposure and continental climate produces a wine with distinctive character. The old bush-trained Garnacha vines are planted in red ferrous-clay soils in the rolling hills of Badarán (near the upper Najerilla), due south of Haro. The vineyards are north-facing at around 650m altitude. The grapes are hand-harvested into 200kg crates, and are sorted by hand at the winery. After fermentation in stainless steel, gently plunging the cap, malolactic fermentation takes place - 65% in new French oak, and 35% in egg-shaped concrete tanks. The resulting wine is blended and bottled.

Awarded 96pts in Tim Atkin MW's Rioja 2022 Special report

Bodegas Gomez Cruzado

The Gómez Cruzado winery dates back to 1886 when Angel Gómez de Arteche started to produce and bottle his own wine in Haro, at the very heart of Rioja Alta. This was in the day when the wine trade between Rioja and France passed along the Tudela-Bilbao line, and the key Rioja wineries were located around the station of Haro. The winery sits just 100m from the station to this day.

Produced from grapes cultivated in the highest parts of the Ebro valley. Predominantly Garncaha (65%) from Alto Nejerilla, in the area between the towns of Badarán, Cordovin and Cárdenas where the vines grow in red ferrous clay soils; and Tempranillo (35%) from Samaniego, and the white limestone soils of Sierra Cantabria. Hand-harvested into 200kg crates with a selection of bunches at the winery. Garnacha and Tempranillo are destemmed and vinified separately. They undergo cold fermentation with native yeasts, and a short maceration. Then the two wines are assembled and refined in concrete for around 5 months.

Bright and aromatic with cherry and berry characters and a hint of liquorice. The palate is complex with layers of plum, bramble and forest fruits, all supported by fine tannins, and long and elegant on the finish.

Bodegas Gomez Cruzado

Aromas of fresh peach and kiwi with hints of jasmine and white pepper. The palate has ripe and juicy stone fruit and honeydew melon characters, refreshing acidity and a gently spicy finish. Enjoy with shellfish, quiche and pasta salads. Or with lightly spicy Thai dishes.

A nose of pink grapefruit, passion fruit, and mandarin oil notes. The palate is rich with minerality and racy lime zest acidity, giving a lovely texture and intensity.

Bodegas Naia

A beautiful ruby colour. A clean nose with good intensity. Complex aromas of leather, ripe sweet fruit and herbs over a base of fine oak. Palate: Potent and juicy with structure and good tenacity. The finish shows lots of spice and is ample, complex, long and persistent.

Bodegas Luis Cañas

Tangible proof of elegance, balance and constancy characteristic of the Marques de Murrieta Winery and its surrounding vineyards situated in the Ygay Estate, it is a red Reserva wine with a balanced aging of two years in new and partly new American oak barrels and a year and a half in bottle. The result is an elegant wine that combines complexity and fineness, summing up the best attributes of our identity and actuality. Marqués de Murrieta is more than a brand in the international market, it represents age-old wisdom expressed in one of the most recognized wines of Spain. With our daily work, respect and love for our land, the selection of the best grapes and the attention to detail throughout its almost four years of production, Marqués de Murrieta is a safe and constant value of the best quality.

In the mouth the wine is harmonious, fresh and it has polished tannins that provides the wine with a pleasant texture. Its fruity long finish keeps an extraordinary freshness.

Bodegas Marqués de Murrieta

A brilliant yellow colour with hints of green. A bouquet of wild flowers and a salty minerality typical of our regions soils. A fresh and fruity palate; well balanced, aromatic, with intense aromas of citrus, grapefruit and lemon, green peppers and fresh grass.

Intense black fruit and warm spice, good depth of flavour with some balancing freshness and supple tannins. A very approachable yet classic Crianza.

Ontañón Familia

Powerful passion fruit and stone fruit aromas. The palate has flavours of ripe citrus, fresh nectarine and peach. Textural with a subtle bitter twist on the bright and long finish.

Bodegas Naia

An extraordinary barrel-fermented wine from ancient, pre-phylloxera vines.

Intense aromatics of ripe melon and pears balanced by leesy, yeasty notes. The palate is broad, textural and intense with well-integrated, toasty oak characters, kiwi and grapefruit acidity and impeccable balance. A deliciously bitter twist on the finish maintains the complexity of this fine Spanish white.

The Tempranillo grapes are sourced from certified organic vineyards at altitudes of around 500m. Ontañón have 57ha of low-yielding organic vineyards and 300 barrels dedicated to organic wines. There is a long maceration of the grapes (over 20 days) - fermentation at controlled temperatures. Ecológico spends five months in American and French oak barrels (new and 1-2 year old barrels).

Ontañón Familia

Ripe aromas of black fruit with warm wood spice. Cherry and plum fruit on the palate with fresh acidity and smooth balancing tannins. Classic, approachable and satisfying.

Ontañón Familia

Intense black fruit and warm spice, good depth of flavour with some balancing freshness and supple tannins. A very approachable yet classic Crianza.

Ontañón Familia

A deeply personal project from Elena Pacheco and Isio Ramos, Bruma is an exciting interpretation of Jumilla and brings lightness, complexity and elegance to this hot, arid, and often monolithic region.

The idea behind making a white wine from the region’s traditional Airén grape variety falls in line with their objective of paying tribute to and enhancing the value of Jumilla’s native strains. Currently undervalued, Airén had its heyday some 50 years ago when it was prized for its notable yield. Owing to its long growth cycle, this variety is able to withstand the intense heat and scarce rainfall that characterise the DOs southern region. However, in present-day Jumilla the variety is in danger of extinction with only a few old vineyards still producing – one of which, with its 37-year old vines, gives rise to this wine.

Pale, orange in colour. Citrus fruit, spicy notes and Mediterranean herbs on the nose, crisp, sharp and mineral. This is not your usual Airén but the skin-contact maceration and biological ageing in demijohns have created a beautiful orange wine with immense character and expression.

Young, fresh and fruit-driven, with varietal notes of white fruit and flowers, freshly cut grass and a citrus touch. The palate is harmonious and tender, with beautiful volume and freshness, finishing dry.

Pazo Señorans

Richly textured and intense white with citrus and stone fruit aromas, fennel and white pepper notes. Bright balancing acidity with a tight structure.

As the pale ruby colour suggests, this is not a blockbuster, over-extracted expression of Garnacha. Red fruit Flavours give way to gentle tannons and a bright seam of acidity. There are subtle herbal notes but balance and elegance are the key things here.

Aromas of ripe white peach, pineapple, and light citrus notes. The palate has stone fruit and nutty characters and a silky texture, which is balanced by fresh acidity and leads to a long and creamy finish. Richly textured yet with bright acidity so a dream to partner with food or drink on its own. Roast Chicken on a Sunday afternoon before nodding off and waking up during Antiques Roadshow.

This is something really very unique and really worth a try.

There are not many wineries that have built their success by focusing on just one grape variety, let alone one that has been almost permanently out of fashion, but that is precisely what Bodegas Ximénez-Spínola have done since 1729. Working solely with Pedro Ximénez, they produce a selection of fascinating dry wines, dessert wines and sherries that bring all of their 300 years of experience to bear.

Pedro Ximenez grapes are left to over ripen on the vine for 21 additional days to the conventional harvest. Harvested by hand and transported in 15kg boxes to prevent damage to the fruit.

Soft pressed and fermented on the skins in French Oak barrels (225 and 300l). To ensure slow fermentation, 30 litres of must is added to the barrel each day which means it is fermented totally dry. The musts are kept on the lees with soft battonage for six months in barrel.

A clean gold colour with green highlights. The nose is marked by the French oak, which accentuates the raisin and prune aromas. A soft palate despite the high alcohol and a pleasant finish of ripe fruit and oak