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.

Sometimes on our travels we taste wines made from near extinct varieties and frankly begin to understand why natural selection is a thing. However, the Albillo variety which Bodegas Arrayan are known for is the real deal. This is a genuinely interesting grape and can make wines with a proper ‘spark’. Style wise it’s akin to a rich Albarino, perhaps an Albarino/Pinot Gris cross, delicious stuff. Interestingly (to me anyway) the grapes are hand harvested before being foot trodden with the juice remaining in contact with the skins for a couple of days before spontaneous fermentation in steel tanks. It’s then given 7 months in old 500 litre French oak barrels to add some texture but very little in the way of oak character. Jancis Robinson MW had this to say of the 2018 vintage: Bright stone-fruit nose, with some attractive fennel character. There’s a little touch of honey which I’m reliably told will increase with time. The palate is pretty exciting with chalky texture and bright acidity. It’s not racy, but very persistent with a fresh mineral finish.

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.

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

From the desk of the boss himself:-

Trawling round wine trade tastings can, on occasion, be a somewhat dispiriting experience. Kissing frog after frog in search of the odd princess does start to wear you down after a while so catching up with Gabriel and Alberto Sanchis Mestre was a welcome relief last week after I’d had my fill of very average Rioja., transforming their family wine business to one focused on bottling their own wines from the local, traditional varieties. Situated near Ontinyent – a town mid-way between Valencia and Murcia, and 50km from the coast - they craft authentic wines with a modern profile from old Monastrell, Merseguera and Bonicaire vineyards that they have rejuvenated. 100% Monastrell (Mourvedre), this is packed with dark plum and blueberry fruit flavours together with well-integrated oak. I’m thinking properly hearty casseroles or game…

Ruby red colour with violet tints. On the nose it is fresh and elegant with characteristic aromas of cherry and red fruits. Light, harmonic and round on the palate with soft tannins.

"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.

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.

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

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.

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

Founded in 1985, Le Val is one of the pioneering wineries for the Albarino grape and was instrumental in the founding of the Rias Baixas appellation in 1988. They have recently been purchased by Rioja giant C.V.N.E (or Cune as it is colloquially known) and although not small, do make exceedingly good wine- gorgeous florality on the nose coupled with peach and citrus notes.

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

The Basque country is to classic Spain as chalk is to cheese. The lettering is different, and the names make you wonder if you've suddenly and accidentally wandered into Greece. Like many parts of Spain, vineyards in the Basque Country have been tended since Ancient Roman times. The region is bounded by the Bay of Biscay to the north and to match the resulting cuisine, the wines are piercingly acidic and refreshing.

Rezebal have 20 hectares of high-trained vines on the green, humid coastal outskirts of Zarautz in the small Chacolí de Guetaria DO. The Rezabals (Mireya and Anders) were folk singers in their youth, but their family history lay in wine and in 1996 they decided that wine was where their future lay too. They now have some 20 hectares of high trained vines on the green, humid coastal outskirts of Zarautz in the small DO of Txacolí Getariako, about halfway between the important Basque towns of Bilbao (Bilbo) and San Sebastián (Donostia).

Their entry wine is pure Hondarrabi Zuri, the most important indigenous grape of the region, with an exuberant lemony punch, a refreshing buoyancy and the hallmark, bracing acidity found nowhere else in the peninsula and just 11% alcohol. This is classic, coastal Txacolí with just the rightamount of spritz, typical of the style.

This wine is produced from selected Tempranillo, Mazuelo and Graciano grapes sourced from 30 to 40 year old Rioja Alta vineyards whose distinctive stony soils are ideal for the long, even ripening of quality grapes. The fruit is hand harvested in mid October. Each variety is fermented separately in small tanks using natural yeasts at 28-30° C. After 20 days on the skins the wine is gently pressed and racked to stainless steel tanks for malolactic fermentation. The clear wine is then racked to 2nd and 3rd year American and Russian oak barrels for 24 months maturation before blending and bottling.

An intense wine, classically designed and crafted. Aromas of ripe red berries, a touch of oak, cinnamon and spice. The palate is silky and ample with layered complexity - berry fruit, spice and liquorice building to a complex finish.