Spanish Wine

Winemaker Description 

Honoro Vera Organic Monastrell is an expressive red wine from the Jumilla region in Spain, produced with respect for organic farming principles. This wine is characterized by its deep, inky color and robust flavors of dark fruits, plum, and blackberries, harmoniously interlaced with nuances of spices, herbs, and a hint of chocolate.

The wine's depth is complemented by its medium to full-bodied nature, smooth tannins, and balanced acidity, making it highly approachable yet complex.

Its lingering finish further enhances the overall drinking experience. Honoro Vera Organic Monastrell pairs excellently with red meats, rich sauces, and strong cheeses. 

Winemaker Description 

Revealing the character of high-altitude, ancient vines spanning from 35 to 100 years old, this red Rioja is both powerful and structured, yet approachable, offering notes of wild bramble, herbs, and spice that culminate in a prolonged and intense finish.

Critic Notes

Luis Gutierrez writes:  The white 2020 Blanco is a little closed, young, clean and tender with subtle oak. They produced a little bit more in 2020, and the wine has less oak and less buttery sensations, a change that started with the 2017 vintage, which seems to have found its style harvesting earlier to retain freshness; it has 13.04% alcohol and a low pH 3.23 and matured in larger oak containers, 500-liter oak barrels and some concrete for 12 months. It's floral and expressive, a blend of Viura with 20% Garnacha Blanca that they still consider work in progress but moving in the direction they want to go. 16,200 bottles and 100 magnums were filled in March 2022.  Drinking 2022 to 2028.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 93

James Suckling writes:  A delicious, creamy white with aromas of apricots, baked peaches, hazelnuts, white chocolate and nougat. It’s medium-to full-bodied with a ripe and creamy palate. Lovely buttery pastry and nougat character, with a fresh finish. Drink now  - James Suckling 93

Pedro Ballesteros MW, Sarah Jane Evans MW, Pierre Monsour write:  Round and warm on the nose, with fine notes of smoke. A mouth-filling wine that's fresh and expressive.  Drinking 2024 to 2027.  - Decanter 90

Winemaker Notes

Contino Blanco 2020 shows a very intense nose, marked by its aging in barrel. It is fresh and fruity wine, a true reflection of the identity of our vineyard. San Gregorio offers a Garnacha Blanca with great complexity and volume. The soils are clayey-calcareous, with medium stoniness, key for good drainage.

Blend: 80% Viura, 20% Garnacha Blanca

Producer Description 

Avinyó Cava is a premier, hand-made, artisanal sparkling wine house which stands in stark contrast to the status quo of the industrial Cava machine. Located in the Catalan countryside in the remote village of Avinyonet del Penedès, the Esteve family traces their history to 1597 in the same farmhouse, Can Fontanals.

Their spirit of innovation and respect for traditions, driven by an undercurrent of constant self-improvement and a relentless drive for quality, are the defining characteristics that set Avinyó Cava apart.

Avinyó Brut Nature is a refined expression of terruño-driven Cava from a vineyard selection of organically-grown, old-vine 70% xarel-lo,  25% macabeo, and 5% parellada from their Can Fontanals masía at 250m to 275m.

Vinification – After a night-time grape harvest to avoid oxidation and for optimal temperature, the grapes are pressed very gently in a pneumatic press. The base wine is fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel between 14°C and 16°C. After cold stabilization, the wine begins its secondary fermentation in bottle with the addition of yeasts and sugar in late January. It is then aged a minimum of 24 months on the lees before being disgorged on demand. No dosage.

Producer Description 

A field blend with Dona Blanco as the dominant varietal, but also Verdejo, Godello, Palomino, and Albillo. The vineyard averages about 90 years old, including some that are pre-phylioxera, from Villanueva de Campeán and Cabañas de Sayago, within the scope of the D.O. Tierra del Vino

Previously owned by various owners who each planted field blends according to their own expressions, the vineyards are now owned by the winery and blended together

Driven by white flowers, citrus and mineral tones, it's rounded on the palate without a strong oak influence on the aromas. 

Ageing is exclusively carried out in French oak barrels from different cooperages.

Producer Description 

Las Beatas is a spectacular 1.9 hectare property which Telmo and Pablo have invested tremendous time and energy: 15 years of renovative viticultural work took place before a single bottle was made.

There are at least ten grape varieties grown on eight terraces, predominantly Tempranillo with 30% Garnacha, some Viura and traces of many other rare, perhaps unidentified cultivars, all planted on cold sandy soils. Las Beatas was made and aged in a single 1200 liter old French foudre. This is a refined, elegant and fluid wine with great complexity and nuance that will age beautifully. 

Producer Description 

Akutain’s Rioja Reserva — a blend of Tempranillo with a touch of Garnacha and Viura — is fermented in a combination of stainless steel and fiberglass tanks, then aged for 35 months in predominantly neutral American oak with a small amount of French barrels. Mid-Ruby in color, this Reserva possesses a beautiful bouquet of ripe berry fruit mixed with notes of dried herbs, tobacco and rose petals.

The full-bodied palate displays concentrated flavors of black cherry, cooked-down strawberries and earth balanced by velvety, textured tannins. The finish exhibits enduring depth and complexity. The perfect companion to grilled, roasted or braised meats and game.

Producer Description 

Priorat Martinet Bru Mas Martinet 2021 (750ML) captivates with its intensity and power, showcasing flavors of dark berries, spices, and hints of cocoa and vanilla. This blend reflects Mas Martinet's dedication to crafting bold and age-worthy wines from Priorat's prestigious vineyards.

Expert Review

Luis Gutiérrez of the Wine Advocate writes 94 Points | The 2021 Martinet Bru was also bottled and ready for tasting. 2021 is a year of very good potential in Priorat. There is great tension here, and the wine has freshness, complexity and depth, something special, but it was not easy, as they got a lot of rain in September. It's elegant and balanced, the tannins are very fine and the wine feels very relaxed (quite remarkable, as it was recently bottled). It has to be one of the finest vintages of Martinet Bru. I find great purity here. Sara Pérez told me the 2021s seem to dance... There are some 56,000 bottles. This is bottled over a period of time, and they started in July 2022. (v.2021).

Producer Description 

The white grape varieties Xarel.lo, Macabeu and Muscat from our Penedès vineyards are the base for the Marta Violet elaboration. It’s fresh, fruity and floral white wine. The violet bottle is the unique violet glass bottle in the world.

It presents a beautiful pale yellow color. Aroma: It’s fresh with fruity and floral notes.
Palate: It has a good balance with smooth palate and pleasant finish. Gastronomy: It’s recommended for aperitif, assorted salads, pasta, rice and fish dishes. Enjoy anytime of the day.

Producer Description 

The red grape varieties Garnatxa and Samso from Els Guillamets vineyards are the base for the Siana Terrer 2022.

On the nose it presents an intense and elegant aroma of ripe red fruit and jam, with hints of anise, delicate touches of new oak and mineral notes. Palate: In the mouth is well-rounded, pleasant, lingering and powerful. Long finish which brings out its special spicy character.

Gastronomy: Recommended with any white or red meats (fowl, wild game, stews, roast lamb, beef...),with stewed legumes and cured and blue cheeses.

GOLD MEDAL – INTERNATIONAL WINE AWARDS 2024
90 POINTS – TIM ATKIN MASTER OF WINE 2024

Producer Description 

The Pizarra vineyards are found on red metamorphic slate soils, which are unique to the village of Cebreros, folded into the mostly granitic mountain range. This slate soil makes Cebreros unlike any other village within the Sierra de Gredos region. Pizarra soil is located above 950 meters, up to 1200 meters, mainly with an eastern orientation. 

The wines from here have a signature expression: they are always fresh, complex, direct, and profound. Pizarra is a limited production wine produced from over 60-year-old, bush-trained garnacha vines, yielding 15hl/ha from the vineyards of Arrebatacapas, La Redonda, La Curva, Fuente Fabian, and Presidente. The farming at Pegaso is organic, and the wines are made with low intervention and minimal sulfur at bottling.

Producer Description 

Cebreros is both the name of the village and the appellation of origin in the southeast of the province of Ávila, within the greater Sierra de Gredos region, the mountainous area located on the continental divide of Spain. The region is unspoiled, wild, rustic, full of energy and light, and as authentic as it gets. It is a transitional zone where northern Spain gives way to southern Spain. The wines from the Sierra de Gredos mountains to the west of Madrid (aka Vinos de Madrid) have finally begun to claim their rightful place alongside other top wine regions focused on producing world-class garnacha. For many insiders, the region is now leading the conversation about this Mediterranean garnacha grape, now understood to be indigenous to Spain. 

Whole clusters are picked by hand in small boxes, with a strict selection made in the vineyard. The clusters are de-stemmed, crushed, and fermented spontaneously with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks and large neutral French oak foudres. The wine is then aged for 18 months in new and used 600L French oak barrels sourced from different forests.

Producer Description 

Bright ruby red. Clean and complex on the nose, Harmony of fruit with notable hints of fine oak. Well structured on the palate, savory and balanced. The wine shows great character and has a long persistence. Complex retro nasal, elegant with notes of quality wood toasts.

Producer Description 

Fine aromas of matured red fruits, red berries, cassis and toasted notes , sweet spicy nose  with a mineral touch. Pleasant and warm entry in the palate,  shows elegant earthy red fruits with a touch of well integrated oak, round tannins, finishes long and will go improving.

Drinks beautifully now and through 2026, and will gain in complexity and fineness with age. 

Producer Description 

Very modern white wine, made with the oldest vineyards of chardonnay and viura rioja. A well balanced wine, very fresh and fruity to enjoy ar any time of the year.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019 

Zekun Shuai writes:  Profound and intense nose with some tapenade, black beans and cocoa powder that gives depth to the already deep blackberries. Hints of dark spices and cigar box, too. Plenty of palpable tannins evenly melt into full-bodied palate with juicy dark fruit. Brooding and long finish. Cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot and petit verdot. Drink or hold.  - James Suckling 94

Luis Gutierrez writes:  The 2019 Selección Especial, cropped from a warm and dry year, is composed of 64% Tempranillo, 15% Cabernet sauvignon, 14% Syrah, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot and has 14.5% alcohol, coming through as riper than the 2020 I tasted next to it. It's also darker, round and powerful, with plenty of tannins, wide and concentrated. This is from a warm year, with lower yields, and it's a very powerful wine, balsamic with notes of aromatic herbs, a little more Mediterranean.  Drinking 2023 to 2028.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 92

Joaquin Hidalgo writes:  The 2019 Selección Especial is a blend of 69% Tempranillo, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah, 4% Merlot, 2% Graciano and 1% Petit Verdot from Abadía Retuerta in Castilla y León and was aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels. Garnet-red with a purple sheen. Cedar complements plum, camphor and spice aromas on the nose. Dry and fairly fruity, the finely-grained tannins support a mild, polished mouthfeel. The 2019 is a cosmopolitan red.  Drinking 2023 to 2036.  - Vinous 92

Alison Napjus writes:  A rich range of ripe black and red currant, toast, ground coffee, licorice and vanilla notes are well-meshed with lively acidity and supple tannins in this red, which has a dusty feel. A balanced version, showing generosity and accessibility. Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Garnacha. Drink now through 2029.   - Wine Spectator 90

Winemaker Notes

Winemaker Description 

Sindicat La Figuera is the recovery of an illusion, a project of 6 farmers from La Figuera. A unique village in Montsant, with a very special characteristics: located in the highest point of the region - 550m-, their garnatxa vines –the only varietal– planted in goblet and ages between 30 and 80 years old stand out for their personality and particularity.

The freshness of the altitude gives its wines hints of citrus and flowers that are not found in other wines in the area. If we add their traditional way of making wine in underground concrete tanks, here is the result: a light and fresh wine.

Winemaker Description 

Casa Mariol is the revitalization of a century-old, family-owned wine business operating out of La Batea, a medieval town in the heart of Terra Alta. Their white vermouth follows the family's traditional recipe, with a wine base of the Macabeu variety, 100% from their own wines, macerated with more than 150 herbs selected from the locality and rested on its lees.

Brimming with fresh green herbs, bitter citrus and notes of anise and fennel, this verdant and dry vermut is balanced and fresh, perfect with a chill, on the rocks, with a splash of soda or in a martini.

Winemaker Description 

Codorniu Demi-Sec , as its name indicates, is the traditional cava par excellence, made using the three classic varieties from the D.O. Cava: Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada. Its fresh, fruity and delicate aromas make it the ideal option for a pre-dinner aperitif. This Demi-Sec version is for those who like their cavas to be less dry. So if you want to raise an even sweeter toast, this is undoubtedly the cava for you! 

Winemaker Description

Very fresh nose with mineral notes and hints of red fruits, all from pinot noir. At the bottom it leaves light subtle notes of pastry which can be found in long aged cava. On the palate the minerality is more pronounced, together with a refreshing structure and also notes of Asian fruits. Acidity is present in the form of freshness and it is balanced with a small presence of sugars from disgorging.

Winemaker Description 

Aromatic and elegant expression of an otherwise deep and dark flavored grape. Delicious aromas of flowers, red berries and black cherries, shadowed by notes of orange peel, spices and earth. Supple on the palate with silky tannins and a refreshingly mineral finish.

It has a bright ruby ​​color with the grip of the fine tannins and an herbal touch that provides freshness.

Winemaker Description

Old bush vines grown in the Alto Najerilla region, next to the Cardenas River, specifically within the triangle formed by the towns of Cordovín, Badarán and Cárdenas, at an altitude between 600 and 710 meters above sea level. 60%.

Expert Reviews

Luis Gutiérrez Wine Advocate 93 Points | The 2017 Viña Dorana replaces the Reserva, and it's a commitment to the Alto Najerilla vineyards, with a blend of 60% Tempranillo and 40% Garnacha. They believe the Alto Najerilla is one of the freshest places in Rioja, with the ability to produce sapid and sharp wines. They handled the élevage so that the barrels are in the background and the fruit at the forefront. Despite the very challenging year, the wine shows very well, with 14% alcohol and good freshness and balance. It has a supple, medium-bodied palate with very fine tannins and faint earthiness. It matured in French barrique for two years, followed by one more year in tank. It was bottled in January 2022. Drink: 2022-2027. (2017).

Peñín Guide to Spanish Wine 91 Points | 60% tempranillo, 40% garnacha). Colour: cherry, purple rim. Nose: ripe fruit, smoky, cpicy, dried herbs. Palate: fruity, flavourful, powerful, slightly dry, soft tannins. (2017).

Winemaker Description

Purple with ruby highlights, this wine shows up-front aromas of raspberries and black cherries with undertones of leather and spice. On the palate, it is expansive and rich.

Pair with lamb and apricot tajines, prime rib, tomato stews, or green lentil-based dishes.

Expert Ratings

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points  | This deep-hued wine has a bouquet of brambly fruits of the wood, coffee bean and dried sage. It opens with notes of mint and clove accompanied by sturdy tannins and ripe summer cherry, Mission fig, cocoa powder and dried thyme flavors. The lengthy finish is marked with menthol and pomegranate. (2015). 

Robert Parker 92 Points |  There is some more development in the 2015 Finca Valpiedra Reserva, which also feels a little riper (even if it's only 13.5% alcohol), showing the dry, warm and ripe character of the year but keeping a low pH of 3.47 and 6.2 grams of acidity. This is medium-bodied, although some will call them thin—and certainly, they are not full-bodied and round wines, they are sharper. This is a blend of 92% Tempranillo and 4% each Graciano and Maturana Tinta that matured in French oak barrels for 22 months. These wines are feeling a little more traditional than in the past.

James Suckling 92 Points | This shows notes of incense and smoke on the nose, together with spiced plums, blackberries, dark chocolate, licorice and a hint of tar. Medium-to full-bodied with firm tannins and bright acidity. Ripe, yet juicy and succulent, with a rich finish. Drink or hold.

Winemaker Description

Aromas of ripe black fruit with light toast and spices. Very powerful, yet elegant, on the palate. Notes of ripe, jammy fruit with subtle toasted notes, with soft tasty tannins and a long, lingering finish.

Winemaker Description

Old vines located at the foot of the two mountain ranges that frame the Ebro River valley, where the grapes provide greater fruit character. 35% Tempranillo from the highest area of Samaniego near the Sierra Cantabria mountains and 65% Garnacha from Alto Najerilla, in the triangle formed by the towns of Badarán, Cordovín and Cárdenas, in the Sierra Demanda mountains.

Tempranillo and Garnacha are fermented separately. 100% destemmed, but without crushing. Cold fermentation with native yeast and a short maceration. Subsequently, the two wines are blended and refined in concrete for approximately 5 months. 

Winemaker Description

Medium body with red berry and spice notes. 

Critic Notes

Josh Raynolds writes: Extremely pale onion skin. Peach pit, dried pear, ginger and a hint of beeswax on the pungent nose. Chewy and focused on the palate, offering nicely concentrated orchard and citrus fruit flavors that pick up a subtle floral accent on the back half. Finishes with very good persistence, leaving notes of chamomile, honeysuckle and bitter pear skin behind. Drinking 2021 to 2025. - Vinous 92

Luis Gutierrez writes:  The young white 2018 Señorío de P. Peciña Cosecha Blanco is quite pale, young and fruit-driven, as it corresponds to an unoaked Viura fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and bottled quite early. It's clean and harmonious, with aromas of white pear and flowers, quite elegant. The palate is fresh, but the wine has weight and fills your mouth; 2018 is a cool vintage and it shows. The flavors are focused and clean, and there is a pleasant bitter twist on the finish.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 90

Sarah Jane Evans MW, Matthew Forster MW, Beth Willard write:  Aromatic with honeysuckle, white roses. Fresh lemon and grapefruit pith combine with spicy, woody notes and cinnamon. A long, savoury finish.  Drinking 2021 to 2025.  - Decanter 90

Winemaker Notes

Pale straw-yellow color with green hints. Fresh and clean on the nose with hints of green apple and peach. On the palate, this wine has good acidity and offers herbal hints and notes of green fruits. 

Winemaker Description

Made from 10 to 15 year-old selected vineyards, located in different villages of Rioja. This wine is made to be enjoyed as an every day wine as we say in Spain "Vino de Trago largo".

With a background of red fruits, it is a fruit driven wine, with spicy notes. It is a varietal wine, made of tempranillo, reflecting the traditional Crianza wines of Rioja.

Winemaker Description

Attractive color,colored, pillory red with violet reflects. Very fruity on the nose, hazelnut and  vanilla notes. Unctuous on mouth solid structure, mature tannins and sweets, armonious and long.

Winemaker Description

Winemaker Description

Dark ruby in the glass, this wine has a nose of black cherry, cranberry and aniseed. It is very soft on impact, with flavors of raspberry, cassis, milk chocolate and licorice. Satiny tannins hold off on the palate at first, make their presence known and then slip away in time for a bright finish. 

This wine exhibits a delicate pale orange hue, captivating the eyes with its alluring tint. On the nose, subtle yet enticing aromas unfold, evoking nostalgic memories of ripe red fruits, juicy strawberries, and luscious cherries. Upon tasting, the wine greets the palate with a linear entry, unveiling a harmonious balance between fruit and acidity. Winemaker Description.