Spanish Wine

Winemaker Description 

A pale and delicate light dry Sherry that is light in color. Commonly served cold as an aperitif, many consider this Spanish wine to be the world's finest Sherry. Finos are excellent when young. A delicate pale cocktail sherry noted for its fine, dry after taste. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2019 

Decanter 90 Points | Blue fruit, tobacco and cocoa nose. The palate is juicy and savoury with rounded tannins and well-integrated alcohol. Long, lively finish. Rather classic.

Thomas Matthews of The Wine Spectator writes 92 Points | This red is lively and expressive. Black cherry and currant flavors are fresh and juicy, backed by cocoa, spice and licorice notes. Well-integrated tannins and fresh acidity give this a balanced structure. Drink now through 2030. 

Winemaker Description

Valduero Una Cepa is a red wine aged for 18 months in barrels and another 12 months in the bottle. This single-varietal wine made with Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero wine ideal for pairing with the finest roasts and meat stews.

Winemaker Description 

Viña Sastre is an iconic, family-run winery in the heart of Ribera del Duero, famous for making long-lived, elegantly structured wines from organic, old vines grown near the Duero river. Flavus is an incredible, singular white wine made from indigenous cayetana blanca grapes from 100-year-old vines, selected from Sastre’s historic Pago de Santa Cruz vineyards at 800m to 840m for their complexity and ability to age gracefully. Sastre handcrafts classic wines through extremely low-yielding biodynamic farming methods, fermenting exclusively with native yeasts.

In Pago de Santa Cruz, a small amount of white cayetana blanca grapes have always existed alongside the red tempranillo, co-planted and traditionally mixed into the field blend destined to be one of Spain’s most iconic wines. Through Jesús Sastre’s good friend and Rías Baixas pioneer Gerardo Méndez, they first researched and separated the white grapes from the blend, making the first Flavus in 2007 to make a simple, charming white wine for near-term consumption. Ribera del Duero does not have much of a tradition for white wines, so the initial concept was to make something simple and humble. Instead, they discovered through the cellaring and consistent tasting of verticals of Flavus over the years that the wine is capable of improving in bottle for a decade or more, leaving tasters stunned by the unique, complex flavors which develop. There is no designation for Ribera del Duero blanco, so while this mighty blanco may be a “Reserva” qualitatively and spiritually, bureaucratically, it carries the humble Vino de Mesa designation. Perhaps in the future, the appellation will see the same possibilities for value and quality in their white wines as their more famous reds.

Vinification – Following a manual harvest, the wine spontaneously fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel. No malolactic fermentation. The wine was racked and aged in stainless steel for ten months, followed by two years of bottle age prior to release.

Winemaker Description 

Red wine Aged in wood. 20 months in French and American oak barrels and 24 meses en botella.

Pinord Chateldon Reserva 2019 captivates with its aromatic intensity, featuring prominent raisin and red fruit jam nuances, beautifully enhanced by a subtle hint of oak. Upon aeration, it unveils layers of clove and pepper, adding to its complexity.

On the palate, this red wine is smooth and well-balanced, with flavors mirroring its meticulous maturation. Its journey across the palate is harmonious, culminating in a prolonged and fulfilling finish that lingers, imparting a sense of opulence and richness.

Winemaker Description 

In the heart of Ribero del Duero lies the village of La Horra. It is here that the Sastre family has been crafting elegant, ageworthy wines from old vine Tempranillo for at least three generations, giving them an intimiate familiarity with the land and its terroir.

With 30 years under his belt at the winery, Jesus Sastre prides himself on never having used chemical fertilizers or pesticides and he is committed to organic and biodynamic farming practices.

The fruit for 'Rafael Sastre' comes from 30 year old vines at elevations of 800-840m, creating ideal conditions for concentrated, complex flavors and fresh acidity. Flavors of ripe blackberry and raspberry lead the way, supported by notes of cocoa, leather and dried herbs through the finish. Partner this bottle with burgers with blue cheese or Cocido madrileño.

Winemaker Description 

Segura Viudas Organic Cava is a delightful sparkling wine that embodies the essence of organic winemaking. It presents a pale straw-yellow color in the glass, exuding freshness and purity. The nose is greeted with enticing aromas of citrus fruits, green apple, and delicate floral notes, underscored by subtle herbal hints. On the palate, it offers a lively and well-balanced character, with flavors of crisp apple, lemon, and a touch of stone fruit.

Over the years, Segura Viudas has earned a reputation as one of the top producers of Cava. The winery has been noted for its high production standards, its labor-intensive approach to winemaking, and its penchant for releasing some of Europe's finest artisan sparkling wines. The estate that houses Segura Viudas dates back to the 11th century. 

Segura Viudas became a winery and began producing and selling wines in 1959. D.O. Penedes is situated between the coastal hills and the narrow plains of the Mediterranean coast. The influence of the Sea creates a mild, warm climate that is ideal for the vineyards. The soils consist primarily of limestone, clay and sand. 

Winemaker Description 

A natural, young, and fresh wine. Made with minimum intervention. No added Sulfites. A blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha. 

Expert Reviews 

Decanter 95 Points | Elegant and inviting, with layers of dark bitter chocolate, burnt orange and barley sugar leading on to a lush, rich palate of toffee, caramel and espresso. Wine Enthusiast 93 Points | A smooth nose deals typical P.X. aromas of chocolate, fig and raisin. On the palate, this is thick and a touch chewy but that's not abnormal for this type of wine. Rich flavors of café mocha and chocolate finish long, sweet and satisfying.

Wine Spectator 93 Points | Thick and oily in feel, with buckwheat honey, toasted sesame, prune and date flavors forming the core. A Christmas pudding note pervades the exotic finish.

Winemaker Description

Nectar is a young PX showing rich aromas of fresh fruit such as raisins and hints of honey, syrup and fruit preserve. On the palate it is velvety and smooth with good acidity with alleviates the sweetness. Perfect with desserts such as vanilla ice cream, black chocolate and cheesecake.

Joaquín Hidalgo of Vinous writes 95 Points | The NV Solera 1927 is a sun-dried Pedro Ximénez wine sourced from Sierra de Montilla. Aged for 20 years in a very old solera, this mahogany-colored wine offers aromas of caramel, saffron and tar, along with licorice and herbal notes. Very sweet and concentrated, the palate reveals a wild herb core with a balanced and potent mouthfeel. Despite its sweetness, it maintains balance with a warm, rich heart—a unique sip from Montilla.

Natalie Maclean write 92 Points | This lovely sweet-style Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927 Sherry is not vintage dated but does have some wine from the 1927 vintages blended in. Dark-hued, rich and complex with aromas of fig jam, molasses and espresso. Great dessert wine. 

Winemaker Description 

This sherry made from the best grapes goes perfectly with coconut-lime fish curry or spaghetti with yogurt-mint pesto.

The aging in small wood makes this sherry particularly dense.

A multi-award-winning sherry, excellent as a harmonious gift for good friends or as a gift. 

Expert Review 

Robert Parker The Wine Advocate 96 Points | The dark amber-hued non-vintage East India Solera is essentially an old Oloroso blended with an old Pedro Ximenez, which gives it a sweet character. It offers more mature notes of maple syrup, brown sugar, spice box, raisin and chocolate beer nuts, and its terrific balancing acidity cuts through the sweetness. This delicious effort is best drunk after the meal.

Lustau made its reputation in the foreign markets with its extraordinary single cask Almacenistas which had been accumulated by the family over many years as their soleras are among the oldest in Sherry. The family also owns over 500 acres of vineyards. These are all remarkable efforts for their stunning value. While they are still under-the-radar for most American wine lovers, I encourage readers to give them a try as they are great introductory reference points for how profound sherry can be.

I first wrote about the extraordinary sherries of Emilio Lustau many years ago, in the early days of The Wine Advocate. The portfolio of under 25 a bottle selections represents remarkable value for their complex, well-made personalities. Lustau includes a bottling date code as purchasers would want to buy Finos and Manzanillas as young as possible. It is difficult to describe the glories of sherry, but Ill try. These Solera Reservas are all great reference points at a low price point from Lustau. 

Winemaker Description

Perhaps the best value dessert wine in the Lustau portfolio. This extraordinary Cream Sherry seeks to replicate the ancient style of Cream Sherry that was discovered quite by accident.

Trading ships sailing to the Indies in the 16th century frequently carried butts (barrels) of sweet sherry lashed to their decks or in their holds as ballast. After travelling through the tropics, it was discovered that the heat and humidity had matured the wine and given it a wonderful smooth texture.

Lustau has recreated this process by heating and controlling the amount of air allowed in the warehouse where the East India Solera is matured. The result is an exceptional dessert wine with a smooth, sweet taste reminiscent of figs, coffee, caramel and nuts and just enough acidity to give it balance. This mouth-wateringly delicious wine can be served on its own, as a digestif, or with desserts such as puddings, tarts, cakes or chocolate-covered nuts.

Winemaker Description

Morenita-meaning the little brunette-refers to rich brown color of this sherry. The blend of Palomino and Pedro Ximnez lends to this wine, a rich brown color with dark golden highlights. Created by a close family-friend and local grower back in the 1970s, to mimic the classic Jerezano tavern blend of mixing fino and pedro ximenez, Morenita is a delightful sherry.

This is a delicate style cream with hints of caramel, dried fruits and mocha on the nose. Smooth and elegant with well-balanced sweetness, it still manages to be refreshing.Serve slightly chilled or on the rocks as an aperitif or enjoy with mildly rich meals.

Winemaker Description 

In a 200-year-old company with sixteen bodegas, sometimes suprising things get found. In this case, Barbadillo discovered old tonic wines of indeterminate age and recipe, and called on winemaker Montserrat Molina to develop a new vermouth recipe to approximate the flavor profiles of what they had found.

The result, Atamán, is a potently delicious sipping vermouth built on Manzanilla sherry with quassia, bitter orange, wormwood, elderberry and rosemary dominating the botanical roster.

Winemaker Description 

Aged following a biological aging in the cool and humid air of the port town of El Puerto de Santa María, where the flor grows in ideal environmental conditions.

Pale straw colour, dry, light and smooth. This Fino is laced with scents of the sea and profound “flor” aromas. Clean and fresh, with a slight taste of tangy yeast.

Expert Review

The Wine Advocate 90 Points | The non-vintage Fino offers up aromas and flavors of sea salt and roasted nuts. It is excellent as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to sushi. 

Expert Review

Wine Spectator 88 Points | A pungent, dry and bracing fino, full of iodine, apple and walnut flavors. Light-bodied, with a clean, walnut aftertaste. Drink now. 1,000 cases imported.

Expert Review

Wine Spectator 89 Points | There's a richness here offsetting the firm structure, but the iodine and roasted walnut notes shine on the finish. Caramel, burnt molasses and tobacco round out the flavor spectrum. Drink now. 1,750 cases made.

Winemaker Description 

Mahogany colour with iodine tinged edges. Strong and nutty, with hints of varnish, caramel and vanilla. Very dry, well-rounded structure, with faint hints of saline, a slightly bitter and long- lasting finish.

Winemaker Description 

Luminous amber colours. The aromas are pungent, almondy and persistent. On the palate it is slightly sweet, refined and with hints of dry flavours from the ageing. In short, the characteristics of an exceptional amontillado.

Straw-yellow, bright and transparent . Pungent and delicate. Light and dry on the palate.

Winemaker Description 

Aged for 15 years in Jerez de la Frontera. Since the foundation of its Solera by Mr. Emilio Lustau in 1921 to commemorate the visit to Jerez of Eugenia de Montijo, the last Empress of France.

Dark gold in colour with khaki hues. Penetrating aromas of noble woods, varnish and nuts with a great concentration. A rich and mellow wine, with immense flavours of smoky wood, prunes and bitter chocolate. Complex and ample on the palate, smooth and warming with a lingering aftertaste.

Winemaker Description 

Aged following an oxidative ageing for 12 years in Bodega La Campana in Jerez de la Frontera.

Dark bronze colour with golden rim. Pungent nutty aromas with a smoky wood background. Rich flavours of bitter chocolate, walnuts and baked chestnuts. This Oloroso wine has an intense, concentrated aftertaste, lightened by a tangy acidity.

Expert Review

Expert Review

Winemaker Description 

The Fino Jerez Seco from Emilio Hidalgo shines with its refreshingly light elegance and the typical Flor note that exudes pure enjoyment

Enjoy this exquisite sherry as a perfect aperitif or a harmonious accompaniment to fine tapas, salads, or fresh seafood.

Winemaker Description 

Winemaker Description 

Opaquely dark mahogany colour. The nose seduces with intense dried fruit aromas of raisins, prunes and dates, coupled with brown spices of nutmeg and clove, this becomes reminiscent of Christmas cake. Unctuous sweetness marries well with the intense and complex flavours freshened by a slice of acidity.

Pedro Ximénez grapes are harvested and dried for up to 2 days in the hot September Spanish sun. The grapes are too sweet to ferment naturally and are fortified to 15% alcohol. Ageing then takes place in a solera system producing the Classic PX which is on average 12 years old. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

The Wine Advocate 93 Points | The balsamic white 2022 Le Domaine is herbal and spicy, keeping the freshness but reflecting the weather conditions, dry and warm. It has 13.8% alcohol and comes through as a powerful white that should age nicely in bottle. It's an unusual blend of 86% Sauvignon Blanc and 14% Verdejo, a little à la Bordeaux. It was bottled in June 2023. It finished fermenting in barrel, where it matured with the lees for seven months.

Winemaker Description 

A clean and bright wine. Fragrant at first, with aromas of white flowers, elder and acacia. It also has refreshing notes of ginger, and citric hints of mandarin, grapefruit and lime. When poured, hints of stone fruit come through, such as apricot and nectarine, along with mature fruits like melon. Persistent, long, creamy and unctuous. It has a fresh and well-integrated acidity, almost crystalline, ensuring that this is a highly age-worthy wine.

Expert Review 

Wine Spectator 90 Points | Round, rich style. Sports bitter chocolate, toffee, honey and ocean brine flavors, picking up a burnt edge. Balanced, ending with a dry, pungent finish. Drink now. 800 cases made, 200 cases imported.

Winemaker Description 

La Guita Amontillado en Rama is an exceptional and complex sherry with a refined balance of dryness, saltiness and flavor, making it a refined choice for lovers of this classic Andalusian wine. This wine has its origins in the D.O. region. Jerez-Xérès-Sherry and is a perfect reflection of the rich tradition of fortified wines in southern Spain.

The La Guita Amontillado en Rama combines the best aspects of biological aging (under the so-called veil in bloom) and oxidative aging, making it one of the most complete amontillado sherries. It uses 100% Palomino Fino grapes, which originate in the Miraflores and Costeros vineyards of Sanlúcar de Barrameda, in the heart of the Jerez region. Founded in 1852 by Domingo Pérez Marín, the winery remains true to its origins and still makes sherry in the tradition of the family business. The winery is now part of the José Estévez group.

The aging of this wine takes place in the unique system of criaderas and soleras, which ensures a refined and profound taste. The wine is aged for an average of 15 years, of which 10 years under biological aging and 5 years under oxidative aging.

Winemaker Description 

Notes of plums, cherries, strawberries and fresh oranges, subtle hints of cassis, raspberries and blackberries. There is a mineral touch on the nose and a saline and toasted touch stands out on the palate, with a very fresh and balsamic finish. An original and explosive wine.

Rocky limestone clay soil of very low fertility. Altitude of the vineyards: 800m above sea level. Spontaneous fermentation, aged 6 months, 1/3 of the grapes fermented and aged respectively in clay amphorae, French oak barrels and stainless steel tanks.

Winemaker Description 

Brick red deep covered. Clean on the nose with spicy aromas, toasts and dried fruits. Well structured, savory, ample and well balanced. Pleasent finish and harmonized flavors. Complex retronasal, in which we find balsamics and good oak. Finishes elegantly.

Winemaker Description

Medium pink. Aromas of ripe red fruits (strawberry&cherry) with subtle notes of violet flower. Clean, penetrating furit valors of red berry fruit, considerable body balanced by the acidity, elegant, finish and substancial length.

Decanter World Wine Awards & Magazine (UK): Vintage 2014 – Bronze medal.
International Wine & Spirits Competition IWSC (UK): Vintage 2013 – Bronze medal.
Guía del Vino Cuotidiano (ESP) Vintage 2012 – Cuadro de Honor. 90 points.
International Wine Guide (ESP) Vintage 2014 – Bronze medal.
Vintage 2012 – Silver medal.
Gilbert & Gaillard (FRA) Vintage 2014 – Gold medal. Vintage 2013 – Bronze medal.
“365 Vinos al año” de Vivir el Vino (ES) Vintage 2011 – 92/100 poins.
Catavinum World Wine & Spirits Competition (ES): Vintage 2014 – Silver medal. Vintage 2013 – Silver medal.
Guía Akatavino (ES) Vintage 2014 – 91/100 points.
Golden Leaf (ES) Vintage 2015 – Silver medal
Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar (USA) Vintage 2011 – 90/100 points.
Wine Enthusiast (USA) Vintage 2011 – 91/100 points.
Wine advocate/Robert Parker (USA) Vintage 2011 – 88/100 points.
Wine Spectator (USA) Vintage 2011 – 91/100 points.

Winemaker Description

Francesc Ricart Brut is a cava made following its Traditional Method in the most representative area of the DO Cava, which is the region of Penedes and Sant Sadurní d´Anoia.

Expressing aromas of toast, honeycomb, sourdough and nougat. Elegant sparkling wine with an intense flavour of the local varieties and fine texture. Citrus peel and hint of forest floor flavours are supported by the toasted bread. 

A careful selection of the best Xarel-lo, Macabeo and Perellada local varieties and a meticulous winemaking process -the second fermentation and the subsequent ageing take place in the bottle- are the basis of this cava. This cava respects the essence of a traditional brut and it is a fresh and easy-drinking wine.

Expert Review - Vintage 2016

Vinous 95 Points | Saturated ruby. Expansive cherry, black raspberry, potpourri and exotic spice aromas are complemented by subtle licorice and woodsmoke flourishes. Vibrant and sharply focused in the mouth, with a spine of juicy acidity adding focus to palate-staining black and blue fruit liqueur, violet pastille, mocha and spicecake flavors. The floral quality resonates emphatically on the clinging finish, which features lingering cherry and smoky mineral notes. There's noteworthy elegance here, a trait that's not exactly common for Toro. 

Winemaker Description 

Pintia lies on the banks of the Douro River, within the D.O. of Toro. The extremely cold winters and hot summers influence its complex soils, which are characterised by a large number of pebbles.

Therefore, it is paramount to find the optimal harvest time, so as not to lose the freshness of the aromas or the acidity of the wine.

The harvest took place between 13 September and 7 October (one of the longest in our history), due to the low temperatures and rains in September and the growth cycle of the vineyard. These conditions for the 2016 vintage helped push for a bit more extraction later on in the fermentation stage.

The percentage of new oak barrels used for ageing was 80 %, American oak increasing 5 % and reaching 25 %, providing greater density in the wine. 75 % French oak was used for this ageing stage.