Fine Wine from Spain

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Vega Sicilia Winery Photo Credit: Vega Sicilia

Overview

Spain’s wine history dates back to the Phoenicians around 1,000 BC and was further . . . Read More >

Vega Sicilia Winery Photo Credit: Vega Sicilia

Overview

Spain’s wine history dates back to the Phoenicians around 1,000 BC and was further established by the Romans in the 1^st century. Fast-forward some thousand years growth in export increased steadily during the 17^th and 18^th centuries, and in the second half of the 19^th century, Spain benefitted by the French wine industry being destroyed by the wine louse, phylloxera, in that all of the French wine would buy Spanish wine in bulk during this period and bottle it in France. However, in 1901, the wine louse arrived in Spain, which meant that all vineyard’s had to be regrafted onto American rootstocks – a very costly affair. The Spanish civil war destroyed many of Spain’s vineyards, but then years later, when Spain joined the European Union, this had a very positive effect and Spanish wines started thriving internationally.

A combination of great winemaking traditions, improved viticulture, stronger market visibility and self-belief paved the way for greater recognition and demand for premium Spanish wines. Moreover, new regions began to develop and flourish, enabling Spain to produce wines of international quality produced with their own indigenous varieties. As a result, Spain is now producing some of the truly majestic wines of the world.

Key Grape Varieties

Spain has many different grape varieties planted across the country; most important from a fine wine perspective are Tempranillo, Garnacha, and to an extent Mencia, Albarino and Godello. Tempranillo – known under different synonyms in different regions – is the main grape of Rioja, Ribera del Duero, and Toro. Garnacha is blended with smaller portions of Carinena and sometimes international grape varieties in Priorat. Mencia is behind the pure fruited and often concentrated Bierzo. And finally, when it comes to white wines, Albarino and Godello makes saline fresh and sometimes textural white wines in Spain’s northwestern corner, Galicia.

Classification

Spain does not have wine classifications in the way that we know them from France, but instead uniquely has wine ageing classifications, from ‘Joven’ for the youngest wines (aged for up to 6 months in barrel), to ‘Crianza’ (between 6-12 months in barrel followed by 18 months in bottle), onto ‘Reserva’ (12 months in barrel and 24 months in bottle) and finally, at the top of the pyramid, ‘Gran Reserva’ (18-24 months in barrel followed by 36 months in bottle).

For white wines, the minimum period in oak barrel is only 6 months for all categories, but the total ageing requirement increases the higher up the pyramid a wine is.

Key Regions

Spain is divided into 19 regions of which we focus on four: They are:

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Bodegas Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva, Rioja Alta, 2016

70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 10% Graciano & 10% Mazuelo

Regular price £69

La Rioja Alta, Vina Ardanza Reserva, Rioja Alta, 2010

80% Tempranillo & 20% Grenache

Regular price £59

Vega Sicilia, Alion, Ribera del Duero, 2016

100% Tempranillo

Regular price £99

R. Lopez de Heredia Vina Tondonia, 'Vina Gravonia' Crianza Blanco, Rioja, 2016

100% Macabeo (Viura)

Regular price £49

Artadi, El Carretil, Rioja Alavesa, 2017

100% Tempranillo

Regular price £169

Terroir Al Limit, Priorat Arbossar 2019

Carignan, Grenache and Syrah blend

Regular price £85

La Rioja Alta, Gran Reserva 904, Rioja Alta, 2015

Tempranillo, Graciano & Carignan (Carinena)

Regular price £85

Pago de los Abuelos, Bierzo Barreiras Godello, Bierzo, 2020

100% Godello

Regular price £55

Vega Sicilia, Unico Gran Reserva, Ribera del Duero, 2010

94% Tempranillo & 6% Cabernet Sauvignon

Regular price £429

Dominio del Aguila, Reserva, Ribera del Duero, 2016

Tempranillo, Grenache (Grenache) & Bobal

Regular price £79

La Rioja Alta, Gran Reserva 890, Rioja Alta, 2010

95% Tempranillo, 2% Carignan (Carinena) & 3% Other

Regular price £189

Vega Sicilia, Unico Gran Reserva, Ribera del Duero, 2009

94% Tempranillo & 6% Cabernet Sauvignon

Regular price £369

Artadi, Valdegines, Rioja Alavesa, 2016

100% Tempranillo

Regular price £69

Artadi, Vinas de Gain Tinto, Rioja Alavesa, 2021

100% Tempranillo

Regular price £45

Vega Sicilia, Tinto Valbuena 5, Ribera del Duero, 2016

94% Tempranillo & 6% Merlot

Regular price £169

CVNE, 'Imperial' Gran Reserva, Rioja Alavesa, 2016

85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano & 5% Carignan

Regular price £69

Artadi, El Carretil, Rioja Alavesa, 2019

100% Tempranillo

Regular price £179

Dominio del Aguila, Canta la Perdiz, Ribera del Duero, 2016

Tempranillo blend

Regular price £389

Terroir Al Limit Soc. Lda., Les Tosses, Priorat, 2017

100% Carignan (Carinena)

Regular price £189

Telmo Rodriguez, Yjar, Rioja, 2019

Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha & Other Varieties

Regular price £149