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.

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

Bright cherry red in colour, with fresh black fruit aromas, with spice, balsamic, underbrush and cedar notes. A full bodied crianza that is well structured, elegant with a long mineral like finish.

Bodegas Manzanos

A classic Crianza style, from vineyards in Rioja Oriental. A blend of Tempranillo, with a touch of Mazuelo and Garnacha, producing a wine with lovely aromas of wild red berries, blossom, nutmeg and hints of sandalwood. Here the oak is poised and only enhances the fruit, creating an authentic and accessible style of Crianza to please the palate, and at a price to please the pocket too.

Bodegas Manzanos

Aromas of violet, ripe black fruits, smoky spice and savoury characters. Dark plum and blueberry characters on the palate, with notes of cedar and liquorice, and well-integrated oak giving structure and weight - all balanced by bright acidity.

"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.

A project between sisters, Ruth & Ana de Andres, Garganta del Aguila is produced from selected parcels of high altitude Garnacha, grown on the distinctive decomposed granite soils of the Gredos Mountains (west of Madrid).

Vines scratch out an existence in these once abandoned vineyards, up at 1,007 metres close to the walled town of Avila, dotted amongst huge granite outcrops, with roots sunk deep into the sand-like soils. With a long standing fascination for the wines from this region, it was just a matter of finding the right vineyards and the right people. After speaking to various contacts Ruth & Ana came across a small winery, with 8 partners (the youngest of whom was 70 years old!), who had access to incredible old plots of bush vine Garnacha on these very particular soils. All of the plots are smaller than 1 hectare; yields are super low, and currently they hand-harvest from across 90 different sites in order to produce this wine. The idea was to produce a youthful wine from these old vines; with a focus on purity and an unencumbered expression of the variety and terroir. Ruth describes this as a ‘down-to-earth wine’ ... it’s not over manipulated in the winery and is more commercial and approachable in style than some. Ruth & Ana are now on their fifth vintage and the collaboration is going from strength to strength.

Raspberry and wild strawberries, together with herb like aromas such as origano and thyme. In the mouth, it is soft and velvety. Fresh and vibrant, it leaves a fine aftertaste reminding the same herbal aromas as in the nose.

de Andres Sisters

Is this a slightly blush orange wine, a rose made using orange wine methods or a bit of both? Who knows and, frankly who cares - when a wine is this deliciously drinkable who cares what label we bup on it.

Made from Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris, fermented on skins and aged in 1000L Amphorae, this is an orange wine with a definate pink hue (OK, so maybe we do care what label we put on it). Seriously cool and refreshing and packed with stone fruits, mineral rocks and a hint of anise.

Altolandon

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

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

Although this Bodega was established back in 1886, it had remained under our radar until last year when their Predilecto and the stunning Pancrudo showed up at a tasting I was attending. Since that lightbulb moment, we’ve tasted across their range and really love this Burgundian style blend of Viura and Tempranillo Blanco, released in its second year (hence 2 Ano) after some modest ageing in oak.

If these things matter to you, it was recently awarded 92 points by Tim Atkin MW in his annual Rioja report.

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

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.

85% Tempranillo, 10% graciano, 5% Garnacha

Pronounced black cherry, cedar and spice aromas. The palate is supple yet richly-flavoured with layers of dark plum, bramble fruit and cherry supported by well-integrated tannins. Toasty notes, black pepper and dried fruit characters on the finish.

Bodegas Gomez Cruzado

Temopranillo & Garnacha. Aromas of sun-drenched cherries, raspberries, fragrant blooms, licorice and exotic spices fill the glass. Perfectly balanced acidity and tannins create a sauve and sophisticated mouth feel. Enjoy year round from a summer BBQ to a hearty winter stew or just with some hard cheeses, crusty bread and great friends.

A blend of grenache and Pinot Noir, the wine is silky, fruity, with a surprisingly long lingering finish. This wine is equally welcomed at the dinner table, the pícnic table or wherever good friends congregate. It is the natural accompaniment to Mediterranean cuisine.

100% Muscat of Alexandria, the wine is suave and sophisticated and finishes with a bright clean acidity. Ideal as an aperitif or perfect for seafood, roasted white meats, fish and semi hard cheeses.

This red is 100% Monastrell, cultivated organically in chalky limestone soils at around 700 metres altitude. Low rainfall and plenty of sunshine are perfect for this variety. With no sulphites added during production - this low intervention wine is also low in histamine.

Bright cherry and floral aromas lead to a palate of ripe bramble and blueberry fruit, supple tannins and fresh acidity.

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 golden yellow colour with bright lemon-tinted reflections. On nose it is elegant with flowers, fruits and hazelnuts. The palate is dry with just enough acidity to keep it fresh and lively with a structured and flavoursome finish of ripe fruit.

Bodegas Luis Cañas

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.

The freshness of the fruit prevails in the nose of this Marqués de Murrieta Reserva 2016; aromas of strawberry, cherry, floral hints, eucaliptus tree, thyme and fine cabinetry.

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 cherry-red colour, of medium intensity and purplish highlights. It has a bouquet of wild fl owers and a salty minerality, typical of the region's soils. Forceful yet velvety on the palate. Fruity with notes of blackberries, it hides a slight bitterness that balances the fruit, with a persistent and long finish.

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.

A lively, sappy blend of Monastrell and Garnacha Tintorera that's packed full of lively black plum and blueberry fruit.

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.

This is a bit special - a blend of Albillo and Maccabeo, produced following biodynamic principles and fermented and aged in old, French "demi-muids" (500-600 litre barrels). Beautifully pure, balanced and expressive.

Intense, fruity notes of zesty citrus, ripe apple and pear are complemented by white floral blossom and mineral nuances. Fresh and beautifully balanced, with a creamy texture and a long finish.

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

This pioneering Penedès farm was formed by four historic wine growing families in 1980 to make wines from vineyards they've been farming since 1448. Organic since 2001 and farming biodynamically since 2003, they remain one of the region's most progressive producers.

Hand harvested Xarello (Xarel-Lo) stainless stell tanks for fermentation this is a light zippy white made from one of the key Cava grapes. Ed wrote "really quite nice" which is high praise indeed.

Barbadillo in Singular is a small part of Bodegas Barbadillo, the renowned Sherry producer whose name is inseparable from its home in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. For 200 years the winery has stood at the mouth of the Guadalquivir River, where its biological process came into being with the first Manzanilla it produced in its cellars. The "Singular" is a new project from Barbadillo show casing specific organic sites to showcase the micro-climate and help preserve the surraiounding ecosystems. This is named after the Patinegro, or Kentish plover, a bird whose population is in decline due to human encroachment into their coastal habitats.

Gloriously intense colour. A bone-dry organic white wine with a rich nose of flor, dry grass and fresh brine characters. Incredibly complex, powerful in the mouth, with yeasty, bread flavours, saline and vibrant ozone notes on the finish. Uniquely brilliant.

Jancis Robinson 17 Points

"Palomino from two certified-organic vineyards: Balbaína and Burujena. Fermented and aged in sherry botas, but without the influence of flor as the botas are always kept full. In cask for 10 months. Less perfumed than Sábalo. But more structured and more serious. Lime marmalade flavours! Very long. 17 Points, November 2023."

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.

Although Pazo Barrantes has been the ancestral home to the Creixell family (owners of renowned Riojan winery Marques de Murrieta) since the 15th century and where Albariño has been grown and made for generations, it was not until 1982, when the vineyards were re-planted and 1991, when the winery was built, that it started to release their wines. Located in the Salnés valley, just a few kilometres from the Atlantic coast, the winery boasts 12 hectares of Albariño vineyards surrounding the 16th century Galician Palace. All the vines are trained high on supporting wires in the “Parral” trellis system, as is the local tradition, to guard against mildew and rot, and also to assist ripening. expressive nose with intense aromas of white stone fruit, citrus fruit, bay and touches of balsamic. it is a fresh and full-bodied wine with a lengthy finish bursting with juicy white fruit and salinity.

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.

Floral, subtle passion fruit aromas. Classic Sauvignon Blanc freshness on the palate, with tropical fruit notes. Full and textural with a long finish..

Bodegas Naia

SARDÓN is outstanding for intense fruitiness from the very outset, revealing notes of red berries, blueberries, red cherry, very fresh fruit and hints of thyme imbuing it with a markedly youthful character. On the palate, the fine balance among the red berries, acidity and smooth, mature tannins is outstanding. The time in the barrel has smoothed yet has not marked this wine, so we can enjoy a long, silky drink.

Quinta Sardonia