The Best of Today’s Spanish Wines

Spanish wines do not have the same kind of profile as French wines; they are generally bolder, and more full-bodied than their French counterparts. In “Top 20 Spanish Wines to Try Before You Quit Drinking”, Erin Brooks says, “Spain is like the wild, wild west when it comes to wine. Unlike France, where individual plots of land have been set aside for centuries as the best spots for winemaking, producers in Spain are still out searching for new terroirs, new regions and new (old) indigenous grape varieties that have been pushed aside in favor of commercial winemaking…”

Spain is the third largest wine producer in the world with about 2.9 million acres of vineyards. The country has its famous reds – Tempranilo, Monastrell, and Garnacha, as well as its share of whites – Albarino, Airen, Palomino, and Macabeo. Valdepeñas, a tempranillo, was made popular by no less than Ernest Hemingway.

In “Catching Up With The Spanish Wines Hemingway Knew About All Along” Patrick W. Fegan writes about Hemingway and his penchant for Spanish Wine. He says, “That great writer loved the wines of Valdepenas, south of Madrid, and home of some of the country`s least expensive but most satisfying reds…”

Spain’s Best

In “10 Top-Rated Spanish Wines to Drink Now”, Michael Schachner writes about ten of Spain’s best wines after a review of 100 Spanish wines. He makes special mention of  three Tempranillos: Valdegines Single Vineyard, Pagos Viejos and Viña El Pison.

At the top of his list is the pricey 95 Artadi 2011 Viña El Pison (Rioja). He says, “Artadi’s top wine is dynamite in a bottle. Ripe, saturated, oaky aromas of blackberry, leather, blueberry pie and aged cheese are incredibly potent and alluring. This is huge in the mouth, with lemony oak and broad tannins that don’t grind. Intense blackberry, coffee, toast and smoky flavors finish a mile deep, with all sorts of textural grab and character. Best from 2016 through 2026.”

Schachner also speaks well of the 92 Marqués de Cáceres 2011 MC (Rioja): “This is arguably the best MC Cáceres has bottled. Dense, smoky aromas of bacon, toast and blackberry are showing well. A concentrated yet balanced palate is home to flavors of ripe black fruits accented by proper doses of spice and leather. A toasty finish is black as night, with coffee and hard spice notes. Drink through 2020.”

Another favorite is the 91 Aldonia 2011 Tempranillo Blend (Rioja). Schachner describes this graphically saying, “Black-fruit aromas along with floral violet notes are draped all over the nose  on this impressive mondern-styled Rioja. A juicy, zesty palate is acidic but offers enough body to handle it, while flavors of plum, berry and oaky vanilla and chocolate finish warm but fairly quick. Drink through 2020.”

The Trend for Spanish Wines

In “Spanish wine boom: the best Riojas to buy” Hamish Anderson chooses his three best Riojas: the 2013 Rioja Valdepomares, the 2009 Rioja Reserva ‘Cune’ CVNE, and the 2002 Rioja Reserva ‘Viña Tondonia’ López de Heredia.

Anderson says this about the future of Spanish wines in the British market: “The Brits have long enjoyed a glass of Spanish wine, but it has always paled in popularity compared to French. Recent industry figures however show that sales of Rioja have continued to surge as the rest of the wine industry has declined, leading to predictions that Spanish wines will within three years account for a greater share of the British market than their French rivals.”  Hemingway, for one, would have applauded.