A selection of the best Spanish reds and whites, without forgetting the cava, so that you can enjoy them on a very special occasion.
1. Grans Muralles 2010, DO Cuenca de Barberá, Bodegas Torres
The Poblet Monastery is a 14th-century Catalan abbey located in the region of the Barberá Basin and this estate wine took its name from the walls that protected it.
This exquisite wine has the competition of the Garró and Samsó grapes, two autochthonous varietals recovered by Bodegas Torres after a century of the phylloxera disaster. Garnacha, Cariñena and Monastrell also participate.
The Grans Muralles is of a marked cherry color, with purple hues and leaves floral and fruity notes on the nose, mainly pomegranate, and green leaves.
It is a wine with nerve and power, with fresh acidity and a long finish in the mouth. It pairs splendidly with roasts, stews and stews with tomato sauce, herbs and spices. The bottle costs about 150 Euros.
2. Cirión 2011, DOCa Rioja, Bodegas Roda
In 2011, an extraordinary vintage from his Cirión label arrived in Roda. This Riojan winery is located on a centenary draft on the banks of the Ebro in the neighborhood of La Estación de Haro.
The Cirión concept arose after winegrowers realized that in some sectors of the vineyard, grapes with a flavor more related to wine than to fruit grew.
The Cirión is fermented in oak vats and comes from 100% Tempranillo, being aged in totally new French oak barrels.
The Cirión 2011 is a wine with a great robe, a dark cherry color with deep red edges. Ripe black fruits are perceived on the nose with a fine background of aromatic herbs, fennel and liquorice.
On the palate it is voluminous, expansive, pleasant, fresh and elegant, with a tasteful presence of olfactory notes. The long aftertaste is fruity, complex and refined.
3. Lustau Oloroso VORS, DO Jerez, Emilio Lustau
Sherry VORS (Very Old Rare Sherry) wines are officially certified aged, which means they have been aged for at least 30 years.
Lustau's VORS line is made up of 4 labels (Amontillado, Palo Cortado, Oloroso and Pedro Ximénez) and is managed with a rigorous selection to produce only a thousand 50-centiliter bottles of exceptional wines that have obtained multiple awards in business competitions. .
The Lustau Oloroso VORS comes 100% from the Palomino varietal and is old gold in color with greenish reflections. It leaves bitter oranges and toffee on the nose, with hints of honey and a spicy background.
On the palate it proposes notes of toasted coconut, with a bright acidity and a considerably long finish. The half-liter bottle costs 42.95 Euros.
4. Legaris Reserva 2011, DO Ribera Duero, Legaris-Codorníu
Legaris wines, from the Ribera del Duero denomination of origin, are solid, with character, with complex aromas and broad on the palate.
The red Reserva 2011 is 100% Tempranillo and has been in the barrel for 16 months and 24 in the bottle. It is of an intense garnet red color with cherry sparkles.
It offers aromas of very ripe red fruits to the nose, with delicate nuances of toast, roast and spices.
In the mouth it makes us feel like a serious wine, well structured, broad and with a considerable aftertaste. Its online price is 26 euros per bottle and 148.2 per box of 6 units.
5. La Trucha 2015, DO Rias Baixas, Finca Grabelos
Finca Grabelos is a Galician winery that works with Albariño, the regional grape used to produce excellent white wines.
The estate continues in the hands of the descendants of the Alonso Anguiano family that in 1837 acquired the land and founded the winery.
La Trucha is a clean and bright wine, straw yellow in color, with green hints. It is a very aromatic broth that leaves floral aromas on the nose, such as jasmine, with notes of fruit, among which it is possible to recognize pineapple, guava, peach and apricot.
On the palate it is fresh, unctuous, harmonious, cheerful and easy to drink, leaving a pleasant aftertaste. It can be obtained in internet stores in the order of 11 Euros.
6. Oloroso Tradition VORS, DO Jerez, Wineries Tradition
This gem from Bodegas Tradition is made with 100% Palomino, the quintessential Jerez grape, and offers the eyes a mahogany color with traces of copper.
It has a complex aroma, revealing on the nose the presence of hazelnuts with balsamic flashes, accompanied by traces of toast, leather and roasted notes.
On the palate it is unctuous, round and powerful, with chocolate notes. It goes superbly with a wide variety of dishes, appetizers and desserts. The online price for the 750 ml bottle is 48.5 Euros.
7. Barrica Fermented Guitian 2014, DO Valdeorras, Bodega La Tapada
Godello is another predominantly Galician white wine grape, very similar to Gouveio from the Portuguese region of Trás-os-Montes.
The Guitian is made with 100% Godello and the must is fermented with regional yeasts in French oak barrels.
La Tapada Winery is located in the Galician municipality of Rubiana, Province of Orense, a project started in 1985 by the Guitian brothers.
This wine, the pride of the house, is clean, bright and golden in color, with greenish tones. It has a complex and intense nose, with aromas of peach and grapefruit, and nuances of fennel, almond, all olfactory framed by the personality of the oak, after spending 6 months in the barrel.
In the mouth it feels tasty, fruity, spicy, toasted and long. It costs about 19 Euros.
8. Mar de Frades 2014, DO Rias Baixas, Finca Valiñas
The harvest for Mar de Frades 2014 from the Galician winery Finca Valillas was small in terms of quantity, but of excellent quality.
The vines set few bunches as a result of a cold and rainy spring period. However, the weather improved and the fruit ripened in extraordinary conditions for vinification.
This broth is bright straw yellow, with a complex aroma in which white flowers and frosted fruits are present, with smoky, woody and syrupy tones.
Its passage through the mouth is intense and wide, leaving on the palate the taste of aromatic herbs and subtle saline and balsamic touches. It goes well with simple dishes of white fish and seafood. It is marked at 13.5 Euros in online stores.
9. Blanco Nieva 2016, DO Rueda, Martué
This white is produced with 100% Verdejo grapes, harvested 20% in glass vines and 80% in trellised vines over 15 years old.
It is straw yellow in color with greenish traces and offers fresh and intense aromas of stone fruits, herbs and aniseed to the nose.
On the palate it is of increasing intensity, with adequate acidity, meaty and enveloping, with a refreshing and fruity finish, with a hint of bitterness.
It goes very well with fish, shellfish and with Segovian suckling pig. It costs less than 9 Euros (less than 7 in lots of half a dozen) and if you are going to buy some bottles, you should preferably open them before the end of 2017.
10. Masia Segle XV Gran Reserva 2008, DO Cava, Bodega Rovelláts
It is a cava from Rovelláts, a Barcelona winery located in the town of San Martín Sarroca, which specializes in the production of the popular Catalan sparkling wine.
This fine and elegant cava is no second to many champagnes and does not clash in the celebration of any special occasion in style. It can be achieved in just over 21 Euros.
It is only made in exceptional vintages using the traditional method of production of natural sparkling wines and spends at least 84 months in the bottle before slaughter.
Rovelláts is already in the third generation of winemakers, reconciling tradition and modernity in the production of high quality products, with their own vineyards managed with the utmost care.
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11. Pedro Ximénez Tradition VOS, DO Jerez, Wineries Tradition
Tradition is the only winery in Marco de Jerez dedicated exclusively to the oldest wines, cataloged as V.O.S (Very Old Sherry).
Pedro Ximénez is limited to 6,000 bottles per year and its production is carried out using the typical criadera and solera system of the Marco de Jerez.
It has a very intense nose, with fruity aromas of raisins, figs and plums, with evocations of roasted coffee and black liquorice, and hints of straw, tomato and bitumen.
In the mouth it feels silky, oily and robust, with a long aftertaste with the presence of dark chocolate, liquorice, coffee and toffee.
It is a sweet wine, ideal to accompany chocolate and egg custard, as well as cheeses such as Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Tresviso and cured goat. Its price is 48.55 Euros.
12. Faustino I Gran Reserva 2006, DOCa Rioja, Bodegas Faustino
It is a Gran Reserva red wine that comes from the terroir of Bodegas Faustino in Rioja Alavesa, made with the Tempranillo, Carinyena / Mazuelo and Graciano varieties.
It is a clean, bright wine with a cherry red color with a garnet evolution. Its aroma is intense, complex and well integrated, with the help of ripe fruits, wood from cigar boxes, plus traces of cloves, cinnamon, toast and cocoa.
It runs through the mouth in an elegant, structured and homogeneous way, with softness and finesse. Its tannins are round and leaves warm and spicy sensations. Its long finish is powerful and pleasant, with very well harmonized fruit and wood notes.
It goes perfectly with any type of meat, fatty fish, Emmental or Gruyère cheeses and mushrooms. Its price is in the order of 18 Euros.
13. Amontillado Pemartin, DO Jerez, Bodegas y Viñedos Díez Mérito
This Amontillado Jerez is made with Palomino grapes, with a first aging with the characteristic flower veil of Marco de Jerez.
It is a product of Diez Mérito, a winery founded in 1876, which was awarded the title of official supplier of the Royal House by King Alfonso XII El Pacificador.
Amontillado Pemartin is a generous wine with an old gold to amber color, round on the nose and in the mouth, with a pungent and attenuated aroma.
On the palate it feels soft and light and is appropriate to accompany white meat, blue fish, ham and cured cheeses. It also pairs wonderfully with some vegetables like asparagus and artichokes. It is marked at 5 Euros in the winery's online store.
14. Solar de Estraunza Gran Reserva 2007, DOCa Rioja, Estraunza Winery
The Riojan Alava Estraunza winery is small and maintains a profile where the artisanal prevails over the industrial.
The first aging of Solar de Estraunza took place in 1992 with the 1989 harvest and in its short life the wine line has received several awards, including the 2017 Gran Bacchus de Oro Medal for the 2007 Gran Reserva.
The red Solar de Estraunza Gran Reserva 2007 comes from 100% Tempranillo and is velvety cherry in color, with brick tones.
It is aged for at least 24 months in American and French oak barrels and 36 months in bottle racks. On the nose it offers intense aromas with notes of toast and vanilla.
On the palate it is a wine with tannic nerve, powerful and pleasant. In online stores it is available for approximately 65 Euros.
15. Gran Arzuaga 2009, DO Ribera del Duero, Bodegas Arzuaga-Navarro
The Valladolid winery Arzuaga-Navarro produces wines with the grapes it harvests in its plantation located in Quintanilla de Onésimo, a terroir that has privileged climatic conditions for noble grapes.
The Gran Arzuaga is produced with an unprecedented blend of Tempranillo, Albillo and Cabernet-Sauvignon, and the 2009 vintage was presented with an exceptional wine.
It is fermented in new fine-grained French oak barrels and aged for 20 months. It is cherry red in color with purple hues, bright and with a high and deep robe.
On the nose it offers wide aromas, such as tobacco, cedar, cocoa, flowers and spices. In the mouth it is intense, meaty and tasty, with powerful tannins and a taste of ripe fruit and leather.
The bottle can be purchased for 119 Euros, lowering the price to 113 if you buy the box of 6 units.
16. Carmelo Rodero TSM 2014, DO Ribera Del Duero, Bodegas Rodero
The Carmelo Rodero TSM comes from a blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, producing an elegant, well-structured wine of exceptional complexity.
The Bodega Rodero has its seat in the riverside town of Pedrosa de Duero and is managed by Don Carmelo, his wife Doña Elena, and Beatriz and María, daughters of the couple.
This superb wine is aged for at least 18 months in French oak barrels less than 2 years old and offers the eyes a purplish cherry red.
It is olfactory complex, with aromas of black, mineral, toasted, roasted and balsamic fruits.
In the mouth it is well structured, with a fruity presence, proportionate, elegant, tasty and powerful, leaving lactic, balsamic and toasted sensations in the end. The bottle is around 43 Euros.
17. Dalmau 2012, DOCa Rioja, Marqués de Murrieta
This limited production wine comes from a centenary vineyard of the prestigious Riojan house Marqués de Murrieta, reflecting the most modern face of the winery.
It is aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels and has a complex nose, with aromas of wild fruits, dark chocolate and minerals, finely harmonized with creamy toasts.
Dalmau 2012 is a powerful, full-bodied, elegant, harmonious and balanced broth, worthy of the best occasion. Its price in online stores is about 48 Euros.
18. Noé Pedro Ximénez VORS, DO Jerez, González Byass
González Byass is a Jerez winery founded in 1835 by Manuel María González Ángel, nephew of the famous Tío Pepe, who gave his name to what is currently the most famous sherry in the world.
The Noé Pedro Ximénez VORS is an oenological jewel that is aged for more than 30 years in American oak casks, with a very limited production.
After the long aging period, a sweet wine arrives with an intense ebony color, which leaves aromas of figs on the nose, with hints of roasted coffee and spices.
In the mouth it is sweet, fresh and silky. It is marked at 55 Euros in the online store of the house.
19. Aalto PS 2014, DO Ribera del Duero, Aalto Bodegas y Viñedos
The Aaalto project is relatively recent, since it began in 1999 under the leadership of Mariano García and Javier Zaccagnini.
The Aalto PS 2014 is a fine red made with 100% Tempranillo, harvested by hand and aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels.
It is a very intense and complex purple color on the nose, with delicate traces of liquorice, noble woods, spices, toasted bread, black fruits and tobacco.
In the mouth it is a deep wine, with good acidity, very structured and at the same time dense and elegant. It is a long and harmonious broth that will improve over the years in the bottle, gaining in structure and complexity. The bottle costs 69.5 Euros.
20. Clos Erasmus 2014, DOCa Priorat, Clos i Terrasses
Clos i Terrasses is a small winery located in Gratallops, Tarragona, that makes artisan wines according to the harsh school of the old vintners: low-yield grapes and a lot of work.
The star product of the house is Clos Erasmus, a cult red made with Garnacha and Syrah, with a price that is in the order of 164 Euros per 750 ml bottle.
In the production process of this Catalan jewel, the must is fermented at a controlled temperature in open vats and aged for 18 months in new and two-year oak barrels, and a part in 700-liter amphoras.
The bottles you buy will be an investment since Clos Erasmus 2014 will be able to wait patiently until 2035 for uncorking.
It is recommended to do the honors with a grilled Emperor steak, or with a good stew of pork or a dish with truffles.
We hope you find the wine you are looking for within this selection. See you in the next opportunity to continue commenting on the exciting world of wines.
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