Spanish wine is going through a golden period. Whether it’s the exciting move towards terroir-specific wines in Rioja, the continuing rise of Ribera Del Duero, or the exploration of historical vineyards across the length and breadth of the country, it feels like we’re being delivered more high class and interesting wines than ever before. I was delighted, therefore, to be asked to attend the recent third edition of Viñateros!, an event named after the Spanish word for ‘wine grower’, and set up in 2017 by a handful of intrepid Hispanophile importers in the UK.
For the 2024 version, Indigo Wine, Les Caves de Pyrene, Carte Blanche Wines, Bancroft, and Alliance had filled London’s Lindley Hall with a huge array of the great and the good of experimental and high-class winemakers, all pushing the boundaries of what their regions can achieve.
The reason for Viñateros!
David Cañales, Spanish wine buyer for Les Caves de Pyrenes since 2008, reflected on the need for such an event.
“There was a group of us who were seeing the amazing energy in Spanish winemaking on our buying trips, as producers refocused on fascinating, terroir-driven wines. But we were then coming back to the UK and experiencing the same old generic, dull Spanish tastings. Yes, there’s lots of great things happening round the world, but we think we’re living in an epic period of Spanish winemaking that deserves to be shouted about. When the team at Indigo Wines suggested this kind of event, we were delighted to be a part of it.”
Jo Lory, marketing manager at Indigo Wine, was keen to stress not only the change and diversity in style, but also the incredible quality on offer.
“There’s been a huge change in Spanish wines in the last 20 years,” noted Lory. “It arguably goes back to the post-Franco mindset change of opening up to the wider world, with the next generation of producers travelling the globe to learn new techniques and then coming home to harness their native grapes and lands. People talk a lot about the wines of France and Italy, but we really believe the wines of Spain should really be seen as standing up there with the best.”
Stand out wines from the Atlantic North-West
The room was split into four main sections, with the first covering the wines of the Atlantic North-West. The fresh and salty white wines of Rias Baixas were joined by some great wines produced from lesser-known regions further inland that are thankfully now hitting our shores.
Eulogio Pomares runs Bodegas Zárate from the village of Meaño in the coastal sub region of Val Do Salnés, Rias Baixas. As much as the Atlantic influence is undeniable, this region also makes use of granitic hills to elevate the vines and provide opportunity for longer growing seasons and more complex flavours. The Bodegas Zárate Balado 2022 (DPD £29.73, Indigo Wine) uses grapes from an elevated vineyard, home to ungrafted, 100-year-old plus vines on sandy, granitic soils allowing the old roots to stretch deep into the ground. Of course, you’d expect very pronounced green and citrus fruits, peach blossom and a good hit of salinity, but it’s in the grippy, waxy, mineral mouthfeel leading to a superb length of fruit driven finish that this wine really sings.
Further inland, away from the coast and to the foothills of the Spanish plateau, brings you to Valdeorras. This most eastern DO of Galicia has warm, dry summers that are separate in climate from the humid vineyards of the west. Hugh McCartan is part of the Adega O Cabolín venture. “The guys saw what was beginning to happen in Ribera Del Duero and Rioja and knew the kinds of vineyards people were targeting,” remembered McCartan. “We set up in 2015 looking for old vine sites in Valdeorras to resurrect through regenerative viticulture. Eight years in we’ve amassed 42 plots of beautiful vines which are really starting to produce quality.” Of the host of Godello and Mencía blends on show, I loved the Adega O Cabolín Viladequinta 2020 (DPD £30.00, Carte Blanche Wines), a Mencia red blend (with Merenzao and Garnacha Tintorera) from 100-year-old vineyards at 600m up. Pure red fruit, spicy pepper and a long, almost chewy tannic finish all lifted by a rose petal florality.
Finally from the North West is César Márquez from Bierzo. {Yes, Bierzo is in Castilla y León as opposed to Galicia, but its position on the slopes of the Meseta means we can fudge this into the North West…just.} César Márquez is the winemaker at both the famous Castro Ventosa and his own project, humbly titled César Márquez. His sister Marta explained the rise of the wines of Bierzo. “20 years ago, they were very boring and alcoholic,” mused Márquez, “then the likes of my uncle Raúl (Pérez) changed the mentality by concentrating on the vines.” Castro Ventosa is one of the oldest wineries in the region, going back to 1752, and produces some exceptional Godello-based whites and Mencía-based reds. But it was the César Márquez El Rapolao 2022 (DPD £26.90, Indigo Wine) that caught my attention, with perfect elegance from one of Bierzo’s most famous cru sites. Lots of plush cherries and raspberries from slow ripening on the vines, and a soft and juicy finish.
Impressive wines from the two rivers
Spain’s Duero and Ebro Rivers form the setting for some of the country’s most famous wine regions. As the Ebro snakes down towards the Mediterranean in the east, and the Duero heads west through the mountains and into the Atlantic, the impressive aspects, slopes and soil formations have seen centuries of winemaking. As quality and prices (both wine and land) increase in Ribera Del Duero and Rioja (dominated by the Ebro river), attention has turned to the host of denominacións further down these waterways.
Deep into Castilla y León, South-West of Ribera Del Duero and mostly on the southern shore of the Duero, sits Rueda. Regarded as one of Spain’s premier white wine producing regions, planting is dominated by the Verdejo grape. I took some time with Alicia and Eva Soblechero from Pagos de Villavendimia, a biodynamic winery in La Seca rumoured to make some of the best white wines in the whole of Spain. One sip of the beautiful Pagos de Villavendimia Finca Buena Vista 2015 (DPD £25.00, Carte Blanche Wines) and I was hooked! Grapes sourced from 80-year-old vines on sandy soils, this wine had so much going on with spicy almond, apricot, eucalyptus, a lifting jasmine note and superb acidic balance.
Over towards the Mediterranean coast lies Terra Alta, a rapidly improving (and visually stunning) wine region on the southern tip of Catalunya at the point where the Ebro flows to the sea. It was here in 2010 that Núria Altés released her first vintage from Herència Altés, a winery she founded to honour the memories of her native region. She produces a range of really tasty whites from Garnatxa Blanca, but I loved the Herència Altés La Pilosa 2022 (DPD £15.25, Bancroft) made from the native mutation Garnatxa Peluda (hairy Garnacha), which has been élévaged for 16 months in foudres, with 50% whole bunch at fermentation, leaving a deeply perfumed, blue and red fruit, rosemary, smoke and pepper delight with spicy, grippy tannins.
Of course, I couldn’t move on from talking about the two rivers without at least a nod to the wines of Rioja or Ribera. From Ribera del Duero were the likes of Dominio del Águila, Goyo Garcia and Bendito Destino, but the pick on the day for me was Valdaya 2019 (DPD £27.95, Bancroft). The wine itself is from a selection of old vine, low yield sandy plots, with lots of florality, pepper, mint and red fruits with great elegance and structure from ripe, grainy tannins.
In terms of Rioja, lots of great producers were in town including Artuke, Arizcuren and Bryan MacRobert, but it was José Gil’s wines that continue to impress on every tasting. This young man is really embracing the move to a terroir-style of Rioja and it’s his Jose Gil San Vicente de la Sonsierra 2022 (DPD £28.00, Carte Blanche Wines) that really shows off the elegance of these plots north of the Ebro and 500m+ into the Cantabrian mountains. The climate is so cool and protected up here that harvesting doesn’t begin until October, which is impressive in the warming climate. The wine itself is clean, light, bright with great acidity, tension, and smooth tannic structure, with a great depth of fruit, spice and herbal lift continuing long into the finish.
Superb wines from Central Spain
The large central plains of Spain have often played host to large, industrial, rack ‘em and stack ‘em operations. Increasingly, however, we’re seeing lesser-known regions in the centre drawing quality-focused and open-minded producers.
The contentious region around the Gredos mountains is a case in point. This mountain range, to the west of Madrid, is becoming a magnet for some of the finest young winemakers in Spain. Sierra de Gredos isn’t, however, a DO. Political issues mean that most producers have to make do with the less celebrious Vinos de Madrid. But don’t let that put you or your clients off. Bodegas Bernabeleva’s Navaherreros Garnacha 2021 (DPD £18.59, Alliance) belies the surrounding warmth with fresh, light, ruby rose, liquorice and garrigue notes, whilst Ca di Mat Valautin 2022 (DPD £15.95, Carte Blanche Wines) is a stunning white from organic, dry farmed Albillo Real with white blossom, herbal, stone and citrus notes and a gorgeous waxy, lees mouthfeel.
Producers don’t get that much more open-minded than Rosalia Molina, whose vineyards reach an impressive 1,100m in the central-eastern DO Manchuela, with an eclectic range of wines. “There are about 4-5 smaller wineries and the rest are co-ops” stated Molina. “It’s not 100% freedom to do what I like, but they do let me try and give me flexibility if it works!” Her Altolandon Biodiverso 2019 is very worth a taste, made from Petit Manseng withtwo years under flor, but for all round great value, and a wine that should offer a great turnover rate on the list, try the Altolandon Mil Historias Bobal 2020 (DPD £11.88, Alliance). It's a much fresher style of Bobal than I’m used to trying, with fresh blue and black fruits, pepper and sweet, ripe tannins.
Must-try wines from the Mediterranean
The ‘Mediterranean’ section covered the east coast from north to south and the Balearic Islands.
From the beautifully atmospheric DOCa/DOQ of Priorat in Catalunya, Terroir Al Limít produces the sensational Dits del Terra 2021 (DPD £49.18, Indigo Wine). It might be out-pricing a few of your punters, but if you have some well-heeled wine lovers in life, this rich, deep, perfumed red and black fruited, warming, ripe, coating bottle of sheer bliss is simply wonderful. From unoaked Carinyena grapes on south facing, slate slopes, the finish was both rich and elegant from the first drop to the last.
Sticking in Catalunya, the Corpinnats of Recaredo were full of flavour and finish. Based in San Sadurní d’Anoia itself, this winery was established back in 1924 and is now in the hands of the 3rd generation of winemakers. Its single vineyard, 100% Xarel-lo, Corpinnat Brut Nature Subtil 2017 (DPD £32.50, Caves de Pyrenes) directly translates as ‘subtle’, which is a decidedly apt name. Lots of green, earthy, waxy, white floral and citrus notes, but a very gentle, coating and long finish. An excellent gastro-wine no doubt.
And last, but definitely not least, in this round-up of Viñateros! 2024 are the wonderful wines of the equally wonderful Antonio Sarrión of Bodegas Mustiguillo in Valencia. Sarrión was one of the original ‘3 Muskateers of Valencia’, looking to bring the region kicking and screaming away from high volume Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and back to ecologically sound practices on the calcareous and iron sandstone soils and the local Merseguera and Bobal varieties. Of the range I tried, the 100% Merseguera Finca Calvestra 2021 offers serious quality for just £17.25 DPD. The one that won out for me, however, was the Bodegas Mustiguillo, Finca Terrerazo Bobal 2021 (DPD £23.25, Bancroft Wines) from 80-105-year-old gobelet vines, giving precise, spicy, fresh fruit and liquorice, and one I’d like to have a go at chilled.
Mike Turner is a freelance writer, presenter, educator, judge and regular contributor for The Buyer.
