Beyond Rioja
Rewriting Spain's Viticultural Songbook
Uncovering the Artisan Growers of Aragon, Valencia, Galicia, Catalonia, Terra Alta, Navarra & Manchuela
Spain is a vast country, home to the largest vineyard surface in the world. Historically, the household names of Rioja and Ribera del Duero have monopolised the proverbial limelight; they are the old-timers, selling out arenas on world tours. However, bubbling beneath the surface is an underground scene packed full of talented winemakers who are rewriting the viticultural songbook in Spain.
Authenticity is at the heart of this new wave of winemaking, with producers looking to craft wines reflective of their unique origins and cultures. From the sawtooth sierras of Aragon in the north, to the terracotta fields near Valencia, the ancient terroirs are no longer being overlooked and, as a result, Spain is reaping the rewards. With independently-owned boutique wineries, a strong focus on indigenous grape varieties, and minimal intervention in the vineyard, the country is home to wines like no other.
In celebration of Spain’s modernist vanguard, we are thrilled to offer a curated selection from some of the country’s most brilliant artisan growers.
As they say in Spain, "a buen vino, no hay mal bebedor" (with good wine, there is no bad drinker).
Weird and Wonderful Whites
Aside from traditional white Riojas and Albariños, Spain’s viticultural reputation is built mainly on the quality of its red wines. Yet, in terms of whites, Spain offers astounding variety, providing punters with a breadth of styles that is second to none. From the weird and wonderful to the quirky and quenchable, there is something for everyone and some of the most exciting white wines on the planet are being made in the Iberian peninsula.
In the Penedès sub-region of Catalonia, the revolutionary Pepe Raventós is an outspoken advocate for indigenous varieties, using ancestral farming practices and traditional winemaking techniques to express the distinctive characteristics of his vineyards. To the sea-sprayed and rain-soaked vineyards of Galicia, where Rafael Palacios has stepped out of brother Alvaro’s shadow and is helping the Godello variety gain international recognition. Meanwhile, Javier Revert is one of the most highly-regarded winemakers of his generation and has set about meticulously restoring the vineyards of Valencia, working tirelessly to produce wines of purity and precision.
Rafael Palacios Louro do Bolo 2023
£99.00 per 6 bottles IB
£138.04 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT
From tiny parcels of Godello grown at over 600m in the Valdeorras sub-region of Galicia, Louro do Bolo is an early-bird admission into the wonderful world of Rafa Palacios. For Jancis Robinson MW, Godello “combines the structure of white burgundy with the finesse of a juicily mineral grape” and Palacios has been the driving force behind the grape’s revival. Wine Advocate give 93+ points, describing the 2023 as “very tasty, almost salty, with cleanliness and precision, combining power with freshness and elegance.” A wine of concentration, freshness, and complexity. Drink 2024-2028.
Vins Pepe Raventós Xarello de la Vinya 2022
£138.00 per 6 bottles IB
£184.84 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT
Voted Vinous’ best Catalan wine, Pepe Raventós’ de la Vinya is as unique a white wine as you’ll ever come across. Made from the indigenous Xarello, a grape more associated with Cava production, this is an intense and expressive white that showcases Pepe’s talents as both winemaker and innovator. Vinous award 96 points, calling it “one of the most enticing interpretations I’ve encountered… aromas of grapefruit and apple with earthy undertones… This is a skillfully crafted white wine.” Produced in very small quantities, this should pique any wine lover’s curiosity. Drink 2024-2028.
Javier Revert Micalet 2022
£180.00 per 6 bottles IB
£235.24 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT
There are few more intriguing Spanish whites than Javier Revert’s Micalet. A field blend of several indigenous varietals, The Micalet vineyard is special as it was planted by Javier’s own great-grandfather in 1948. On the nose there is an abundance of white fruit coupled with fragrances of sage and rosemary, while the palate has beautiful textural weight and a creamy yet lively finish. Receiving 96 points from Wine Advocate, this is a wine that feels “free and shows the limestone soils quite faithfully… more in the style of a white Valentini.” In other words, this is a wine of Mediterranean magnificence. Drink 2024-2029.
Old Vine Garnacha
Garnacha, or Grenache as it’s known to your friends in France, “is an unlikely hero of a grape”, says Jancis Robinson MW. Over the years, the variety has been unfairly stigmatised or, at best, seen as nothing more than a blending component in some of the less remarkable wines of the world. In Spain, however, thanks to a combination of daring young producers and exceptionally old vineyard plantings, its reputation has been revived and now the country is producing some of the finest Garnacha-based wines around.
In the foothills of the Pyrenees, talented young winemaker Fernando Morra MW is on a mission to recover the old vines of Aragon, producing Pinot-like reds at Bodegas Frontonio. In Catalonia’s precipitous Terra Alta, Herència Altés mixes old with new, where their state-of-the-art winery brings out the best from their gnarly, decades-old vines. Meanwhile, Viña Zorzal in the previously misunderstood Navarra region, make the most of the pre-phylloxera vines at their disposal, crafting wines with concentration and complexity.
Bodegas Frontonio Telescópico Garnacha 2020
£135.00 per 6 bottles IB
£181.24 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT
From 50-year-old vines grown on alluvial soils at 600m, this is a beautifully elegant and characterful wine, displaying notes of morello cherry and bay leaf on the nose, while the palate has a moreish blood orange edge. A blend of two different Garnacha clones, the addition of Mazuela gives added depth to the finish. Receiving 93+ points from the Wine Advocate, this is like Nebbiolo with summit fever, only with more silk-soft tannins and revivifying minerality. Drink 2024-2028.
Bodegas Frontonio Supersónico Garnacha 2020
£150.00 per 6 bottles IB
£199.24 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT
Clinging to the limestone and sand slopes at a lofty 1,030m above sea level, these 80-year-old bush vines result in Frontonio’s most floral and delicate Garnacha red. With accents of rose petals, fresh cranberries, and soft smoke on the nose, the palate is equally intricate, where the wine’s red-fruited profile is framed by fine-grained tannins and mouthwatering minerality. Wine Advocate award 93 points, describing it as “Mediterranean, aromatic and juicy… with notes of herbs.” The mezzo-soprano to Telescópico’s tenor. Drink 2024-2028.
Herència Altés La Pilosa Garnatxa Peluda 2022
£110.00 per 6 bottles IB
£151.24 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT
Catalonian native Núria Altés is working wonders in the lesser-known Terra Alta region, where the rugged landscape is producing some of Spain’s most elegant reds. Garnatxa Peluda, meaning ‘hairy grenache’, has less colour than regular Garnacha, and Núria’s La Pilosa is a beautifully bright and fresh expression. Fresh raspberries, pomegranate, and white tea are at the forefront of this supremely expressive red, while there is a delicacy and gossamer-thin tannins on the palate that make this so effortlessly charming. Wine Advocate award 92 points for a wine that is more glabrous than its name suggests. Drink 2024-2028.
Viña Zorzal Señora de Las Alturas 2021
£150.00 per 6 bottles IB
£199.24 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT
Though Viña Zorzal’s story officially begins in 1989, the Sanz family’s project of reviving old vines means that their grapes date back to the century prior. Back when Gandhi was skipping lectures at UCL and the ballpoint pen was patented, the Garnacha vines of Señora de Las Alturas were bearing fruit for the first time. Thanks to these one and a half century-old vines, this is a wine of complexity and concentration, receiving 96 points from Wine Advocate, who praise it for being “serious and balanced, with elegant notes of flowers, berries and herbs and super fine gained tannins.” A unique insight into life before phylloxera. Drink 2024-2032.
Indigenous Reds
While Garnacha is known for its globetrotting tendencies, Spain is home to a whole host of other indigenous varieties that are unique to the country. Whether it’s allowing workhorse varieties time off in lieu or giving the understudy a chance to shine, Spain’s new wave of producers are crafting some of the most unique, terroir-driven wines around.
Not far from the neon-lit strip of Benidorm, Rafael Cambra prides himself on creating elegant, Mediterranean-influenced wines that showcase the terroir of Valencia. Having spent most of his life in a vineyard, Rafa’s family own one of the most prestigious nurseries in Spain, with the likes of Vega Sicilia and Alvaro Palacios as clients. A little further inland, the scrupulous Juan Antonio Ponce is a leading figure in biodynamic winemaking, where he is rewriting the narrative around the indigenous varieties of the Manchuela region.
Ponce La Estrecha 2022
£156.00 per 6 bottles IB
£206.44 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT
La Estrecha comes from a very narrow single-vineyard plot in Manchuela, where a combination of 75-year-old vines on calcareous soils give the wine its vibrant and juicy profile. Made from Bobal, a grape normally known for its robust styles, Ponce has worked his magic in crafting a wine that is brimming with fresh red and black berried fruit, while the palate possesses terrific energy and structure. 100% biodynamic, Wine Advocate award 96+ points for this “very pale, delicate and ethereal” red that has the power and concentration of a Pommard but without the price tag. Drink 2024-2032.
Ponce Tinto 2022
£264.00 per 6 bottles IB
£336.04 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT
Ponce’s eponymous red is made using majority Bobal from granite soils with a healthy portion of Moravia Agria from limestone and clay. The latter is a little-known varietal, which takes its name from the Spanish for ‘sour’ and, as such, it brings an energy and a pleasant touch of cherry and sanguinello orange to the blend. With 98 points from Wine Advocate, the estate’s calling card is a wonderful advertisement for Spain’s indigenous grapes; this is a wine that balances power and intensity with a sweetness of fruit and juicy, ripe tannins. There’s a temptation to drink this now but the wine’s brooding disposition indicates that it will be even better in another five years. Drink 2024-2035.
Rafael Cambra Casalabor 2020
£138.00 per 6 bottles IB
£184.84 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT
The Arcos variety is indigenous to Valencia, where the striking midnight blue-coloured grapes are well-adapted to the dry Mediterranean temperatures. Taken from a 1.3ha plot of 50-year-old bush vines at 700m, the Casalabor is a beautifully aromatic and vibrant wine, while the palate shows touches of sweet red fruit and mediterranean herbs, which are held aloft by refreshing acidity on the finish. The 2020 has impressed critics, with Wine Advocate giving 95 points: “To me, this vintage is the finest so far and shows the wine's potential. This has a more "Italian" profile… Superb!” Think Barbera d’Alba on sabbatical. Drink 2024-2030.
|
CRITICS NOTES & SCORES |
|
Louro do Bolo 2023 | £99.00 per 6 bottles IB | £138.04 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT |
|
Vins Pepe Raventós Xarello de la Vinya 2022 | £138.00 per 6 bottles IB | £184.84 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT |
|
Javier Revert Micalet 2022 | £180.00 per 6 bottles IB | £235.24 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT I also tasted the 2022 Micalet white, from an earlier harvest of healthy grapes with more sugar than usual and good acidity, which provoked malolactic fermentation, something that had never happened in this wine before. The wine has a more Mediterranean character, with white fruit, more volume, ripeness and alcohol (13.28%) while keeping the balance. It was a warmer year with more ripeness, a hurried ripening, and there's also the difference with malolactic; but the wine feels quite free and shows the limestone soils quite faithfully. This is a lot more Mediterranean and perhaps true to the place, keeping the freshness, more in the style of a white Valentini. Drink 2024-2029. 96 points. Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate |
|
Telescópico Garnacha 2020 | £135.00 per 6 bottles IB | £181.24 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT I tasted two vintages of some of the wines, like the blend of Garnacha Fina, Garnacha Peluda and Mazuela from the villages of Alpartir and Morata. The 2020 Telescópico Garnacha · Garnacha Peluda · Mazuela was cropped from a rainy year and had a similar vinification and élevage as the 2021 I tasted next to it—80% full clusters, indigenous yeasts and 12 to 14 months in 500-liter barrels and 2,500-liter oak vats. It's a little more Mediterranean and riper but without excess, a vintage with more fruit, and it's juicy and has fine tannins. Drink 2023-2028. 93+ points. Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate |
|
Supersónico Garnacha 2020 | £150.00 per 6 bottles IB | £199.24 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT The 2020 Supersónico was harvested on October 4 (later than in 2020), fermented with 100% full clusters in oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in used 500-liter barrels and 2,500-liter oak foudres. The wine has similar parameters as the 2021 I tasted next to it—13.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.5 and 5.15 grams of acidity (tartaric). Despite the moderate ripeness and the similar data, there's a sensation of more ripeness here, and it's also more Mediterranean, aromatic and juicy, with fruit and perfume with notes of herbs. It's medium to full-bodied with round tannins. Drink 2023-2028. 93 points. Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate |
|
La Pilosa Garnatxa Peluda Herència Altés 2022 | £110.00 per 6 bottles IB | £151.24 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT The Garnacha Peluda (Hairy Garnacha) red 2022 La Pilosa was produced with a biotype that has more vigor and less color than the regular Garnacha, and they want to highlight the lightness and freshness of the variety. It comes from a vineyard planted in 2016 on clay and limestone soils that is head-pruned and dry-farmed. It fermented with 40% full clusters in concrete with native yeasts and underwent malolactic and aging for 10 months in 5,000-liter Austrian foudres. It's perfumed, with ripe berry fruit and herbs and has some earthy and dusty notes, with a rustic twist and hints of tree bark, closer to Cariñena than to regular Garnacha. It also has some dusty tannins and earthy minerality. Drink 2024-2028. 92 points. Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate |
|
Señora de Las Alturas 2021 | £150.00 per 6 bottles IB | £199.24 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT 2021 Señora de Las Alturas comes from an ancient plot on the gravel and silt soils on the banks of the Alhama River that they call Pontigos that also produces their wine Lecciones de Vuelo that is a collaboration with a different winemaker every year. It fermented in open 1,000-liter pools with 5% Garnacha Blanca followed by malolactic and 15 months' élevage in second use 500-liter French oak barrels. It has moderate ripeness, a medium-bodied palate, moderate alcohol (13.66%) and very fine tannins. There is a turn toward finesse and elegance in all the wines, and it is also noticeable here. This is a wine that feels very consistent too. It's serious and balanced, with elegant notes of flowers, berries and herbs and super fine gained tannins. Superb, and as with many wines, this is their finest vintage to date. Drink 2024-2031. 96 points. Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate |
|
Ponce Estrecha 2022 | £156.00 per 6 bottles IB | £206.44 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT |
|
Ponce Tinto 2022 | £264.00 per 6 bottles IB | £336.04 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT The eponymous red 2022 Ponce was produced with 80% Bobal from granite soils and 20% Moravia Agria from limestone and clay. It fermented with 100% full clusters in open-top 4,500-liter oak vats and finished fermenting and aging in a single 7,000-liter oak vat for 11 months. It has 13% alcohol and a pH of 3.6 with 5.7 grams of acidity. This has something in common with the La Estrecha from this same vintage, with a more ethereal profile, both with changes in the élevage toward larger volumes that give the wines more relaxed, less tight personalities. Complete, balanced and harmonious from very early on, this is a great vintage for this wine. Drink 2024-2032. 98 points. Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate |
|
Rafael Cambra Casalabor 2020 | £138.00 per 6 bottles IB | £184.84 per 6 bottles DP inc. VAT The varietal Arco 2020 Casalabor has a spectacular nose, complex and deep, nuanced, clean and expressive, earthy. To me, this vintage is the finest so far and shows the wine's potential. This has a more "Italian" profile, as Cambra likes to give it a longer élevage, 18 to 20 months, in used 500-liter barrels and concrete. The grape ripens very slowly and late and still keeps very low alcohol (this has 12.5%). The vines were planted around 1972, and the soils are very white, as they're high in limestone, which gives the wine austerity and tastiness. Superb! Drink 2023-2030. 95 points. Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate |
Terms & Conditions | Normal terms and conditions apply and wines are offered subject to availability. All wines are offered In Bond UK. The wines will arrive in December 2024 and on arrival, your wines can either be delivered directly to you or stored Under Bond at our storage company, Private Reserves. Storage costs range from £5.48 - £6.72 ex VAT per 6 bottle case per annum, depending on the total number of bottles stored. When you decide to take delivery Duty and VAT become payable. These charges at present are £16.03 per six and 20% respectively. Delivery in the UK from your Private Reserves will be charged at cost. If you buy for direct delivery Duty and VAT become payable. Delivery to UK addresses is free on orders over £360 inc VAT (excluding Central Scotland, Highlands and Islands). Delivery to UK addresses is £24.00 inc VAT on orders under £360 inc VAT (excluding Central Scotland Highlands and Islands). Delivery to Central Scotland, Highlands and Islands incurs additional charges - click here for full details. Payment must be made within 30 days of invoice date.
Built with Shorthand