Top Spanish Red Wines - 2016

A very consistent wine from vintage to vintage. This is a big wine that drinks more "new world'. Inky purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is nice with black cherries, char, spice, slight blueberries and a hint of roasted herbs. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, this is up-front and delicious. Lots of black cherry fruit with some smoke and spice. Long finish. This is drinking well now and should continue for another twenty years. Great on its own, this works well with big flavors. It can stand up to chorizo sausages.
This is a sparkling wine from Spain. It is a blend of 45% Xarel.lo, 40% Macabeo, 12% Parellada and 3% Malvasía de Sitges. Golden in color. A fair amount of smaller bubbles. The nose has char, and lemons. Nice mouthfeel. Good backbone of acidity. The lemons carry thru to the palate. Shorter finish. Drink over the next five years. Very food friendly, this makes a nice starter with appetizers for a holiday party or dinner.
Made from Organic Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes in Spain. This is the kind of wine, that might be easy to dismiss. It is not meant to be serious with its playful packaging and ceramic stopper. But, at the end of the day, it is a nice wine. Ruby in color, clear and bright. There is a slight frothy spritz. On the palate, there are raspberries, fresh and candies, oranges, and a slight sweet quality to it. On the palate, this is sweet but not cloying. Cherries, black cherries and raspberries. The finish has a bit of a bitter cherry quality. There is enough acidity for this to work w
Sotavento is a private label bottling from this cooperative in Spain. It is made from Garnacha (Grenache). Garnet in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose is tight. With air, black cherries and dust come out. Medium bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, black cherries and spice. Moderate finish. This needs some time, but it remains to be seen if the fruit outlasts the tannins. Probably better with some food. Stews would work well. Drink over the next five years.
One of the best of the traditional Rioja wine producers. This wine lived up to its reputation. A blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho, 10% Graciano and Manzuelo. Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose has cherries, slight plums, vanilla, smoke and slight balsamic notes. Medium to full bodied. On the palate, this has plenty of depth. Cherries, dried cherries, smoke and slight dill notes. Good acidity. Nice finish. This is delicious and complex. It drinks great on its own and even better with food. Lamb stew would be a nice choice. Drink over the next fifteen to twent
A delightful white wine from the north of Spain. Fermented in stainless steel, a little natural effervescence remains in the bottle. Screw capped. Light golden in color with a stream of small bubbles. The nose has minerals, green apples and salinity. Light bodied. Balanced. Refreshing. On the palate, just a hint of fizz. Flavors of green apples with some salinity. Easy to drink at 11% abv. This drinks nicely on its own and is perfect with lighter foods but also if those foods have a spicy kick. Drink over the next year or two as the fizz and freshness will start to fade.
This has always been a favorite value wine. Although the wine sees no oak, it spends four months on the lees leaving a creamy texture and notes that resemble oak. Green/gold in color, clear and bright. The nose has some vanilla, along with pears and lanolin. Light to medium bodied. On the palate, there is a nice green apple note with plenty of energy. A bit of salinity on the finish. This drinks well on its own and would pair quite well with shellfish. Drink over the next few years.
This is made from the Verdejo grape. Green/golden in color, clear and bright. The nose as spice and golden raisins. Full bodies. No fruit, this is about minerals and spice. On the palate, minerals and hay with some spice. Good acidity. Round texture. Long finish. This is good value. Food friendly. It will work nice with lighter pork or chicken dishes. Pork chops would be a nice choice. Drink over the next few years.
I believe this is Viura. Yellow gold in color with some green hues, clear and bright. The nose has some minerals and smoke. It has a viscous texture. On the palate, this is tart with green apple notes. Moderate finish. A nice sipping wine that will work well with lighter foods. Drink now.