For the past 16 years, my newspaper, El Mundo, and its wine web site, elmundovino, have been giving ‘wine of the year’ awards to three Spanish wines released during the past 12 months (one red, one white, one ‘other’, i.e. either fortified or bubbly or sweet), plus 12 honorable mentions. Since it’s put out by a highly unreliable one-person jury and it doesn’t try to point out necessarily the ‘best’ wines but those which stand out for their personality or QPR or research of terroir expressions, it turns out to be very idiosyncratic. Then again, it’s no better or worse than many other such lists, so I’ll publicize it anyhow…
Our three wines of the year 2009 are Marqués de Riscal 150 Aniversario Gran Reserva 2001 Herederos del Marqués de Riscal (DOC Rioja), Selección de Añada 2004 Pazo de Señorans (DO Rías Baixas) and La Bota de Palo Cortado nº 17 Bota Punta Equipo Navazos (DO Jerez y Manzanilla de Sanlúcar).
Our 12 honorable mentions go to Alión 2005 Bodegas Alión (DO Ribera del Duero), El Fin del Mundo 2007 Jiménez-Landi (DO Méntrida), Finca La Colina Verdejo Cien x Cien 2008 Vinos Sanz (DO Rueda), Goliardo Espadeiro 2007 Forjas del Salnés (DO Rías Baixas), La Creu Alta 2006 Mas Alta (DOC Priorat), Les Tosses 2006 Terroir al Limit (DOC Priorat), Oloroso 1905 Solera Fundacional Pérez Barquero (DO Montilla-Moriles), Pazo Piñeiro de Lusco 2006 Pazos de Lusco (DO Rías Baixas), P. de Maria 2007 Macià Batle (DO Binissalem), Sameirás 2008 Antonio Cajide Gulín (DO Ribeiro), Viña al Lado de la Casa 2007 Castaño (DO Yecla) and Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva 1991 R. López de Heredia-Viña Tondonia (DOC Rioja).
In Spanish, details of these choices and a history of the awards here:
Definitely idiosyncratic. A few sherries, a few wines from Rias Baixas, and a few old-line houses from Rioja. Jeez Victor, were any of them even made by Australians?
Well, no, no Australians, but Eben Sadie of Terroir al Limit is South African, and Michel Tardieu and Philippe Candie of Mas Alta are French, of course. Nationality is no problem. If they understand the soil and the grapes and don’t try to turn them into something they aren’t, winemakers will be OK wherever they come from!
Some other salient points in this selection which I’ve mentioned on another board would be:
Equipo Navazos keeps finding mindblowing gems in forgotten old sherry casks.
for the second time in three years, the Señorans Selección is the white of the year (a wine that’s aged for three years on its lees in stainless steel, then released at age five: unusual in Galicia!)
two reds, Goliardo and Sameirás, from cool Galician areas much better known for whites (Rías Baixas and Ribeiro). A new age is dawning for Atlantic reds in Spain.
A Jiménez-Landi wine for the second year in succession. From the obscure central Spanish regions of Méntrida, Madrid and Cebreros, an unexpected awakening of old grenache vines is occurring thanks to some devoted crazies like Dani Jiménez-Landi.
Not to mention that it was a pleasure to highlight the best red Gran Reservas produced by, respectively, Marqués de Riscal and López de Heredia in a long, long time!
I should, of course, have also congratulated Jan Pettersen of Bodegas Rey Fernando de Castilla for having actually supervised the winemaking of the Palo Cortado. (Although I believe the soleras predate his arrival). When we visited the winery in summer of 2007 we tried various of their Sherries from cask; the Palo Cortado was unforgettable.
I believe that this butt belongs to the Antique soleras, which Jan purchased from top-notch almacenistas when starting the Fernando de Castilla venture.
Thanks very much for the lists and info Victor. Not too long ago you posted (somewhere) about producers (most not imported to the US) making elegant Lopez de Heredia style reds. Are any of these on your list and any chance you could repost?
I’ve also been gaining interest in over-looked Sherries since a recent WFW article. Is there any secret behind all those different numbers for Equipo Navazos?
No secret, they’re just increments. As each new one is discovered, bottled and released, it gets a higher number. See the Equipo Navazos website to get the flavor of the thing.
Not exactly. That would be like posting about producers in California making reds in the style of Ridge: these are very personal producers, and imitations don’t usually work well. Another story is, in general terms, the ‘traditional’, softer, less extracted Rioja that is aged for a long time in old American oak barrels and is more about tertiary flavors and aromas than about fruit. There are many wineries still working in that vein in addition to López de Heredia, including Marqués de Riscal. Other noteworthy ones are, among others, Valenciso, Beronia, Franco-Españolas, Paternina, Riojanas, CVNE, La Rioja Alta, Martínez Lacuesta, Remélluri, Peciña, Olarra, Ondarre, Altanza, Rioja Santiago, Amézola de la Mora, Corral, Domecq, Puelles, Alavesas, Juan Alcorta, Age, El Coto, Viña Salceda, Marqués de Legarda… and a bevy more!
Richard, the sherries Victor mentions are indeed spectacular. But sherry as a class is underrated and because there aren’t too many people trolling for them, you can find great values quite easily. It might be one of the best priced wines available if you consider what you can find for the prices you pay.
Sorry, but I have no idea. Not one of them is sold in Spain. I have always rather wary of those ‘for export only’ wines (usually made by Britons, BTW.)
