Hola! A taste of Spain delivered to your door

For this week, we have selected a group of Spanish wines that have in common some great tastes. No matter whether you’re drinking them with food or just sitting and chatting with friends, they are sure to delight your taste buds and take you closer to the Iberian sunshine. 

For the whites we have selected two different white Riojas, one from Sierra Cantabria which is quite unusual in that it contains some Sauvignon Blanc. It was given a couple of months ageing in barrel to fatten it a little on the palate while retaining all of the crisp, fresh acidity to make the palate come alive. There is also a White Rioja from Senorio de Arana which is 100% Viura. Fresh as a daisy and clean as a whistle, this is ideal for drinking by itself while you imagine yourself on a beach somewhere! Both are good with food, especially seafood or tapas style dishes. 

Speaking of seafood there is also an Albarino Sobre Lias from Terra de Asorei in Rias Baixas which is a sensational white wine and so popular with our clients. Lastly for the whites is the incredible value Verdejo/Viura from Fuente Milano on the edge of Rueda. Again freshness is the first thing you’ll experience followed by some delicious citrus notes. It’s long on the palate and you’ll find it terrific value for money.

Turning to the reds, the first wine is a fantastic opening red from the Eguren brothers of Sierra Cantabria fame. It’s pure Tempranillo from various parts of Spain and again, drinks well above its price tag. Loaded with spicy red berry fruit, it is ideal at a barbecue or with just about any red meats. The Sobre Lias Tinto from Dominio de Laidi is a fantastic wine and again exceptional value. Sobre Lias simply means On the Lees . A wonderful, fruity blend of 75% Grenache and 25% Syrah that makes for a great tapas wine, a real quaffer that slips down like silk knickers! 

There is also a Rioja Crianza from Vina del Oja which has a nose of ripe red fruits and hints of oak, touches of vanilla and some toasty notes, too. The palate is firm and mouth-filling, with plenty of bright fruit flavours backed by soft, ripe tannins. A class act. 

Finally we have Calados del Puntido from Vinedos de Paganos. This stunning wine from the company's own 45 year old vineyards in Laguardia, Rioja Alavesa, is made from 100% Tempranillo grapes that have been handpicked before being totally de-stemmed on arrival at the winery. They then get a cold soak for around 3 days at around 5/6 degrees before fermentation starts using yeasts selected from the same vineyards. Fermentation is temperature controlled with light pump-overs several times a day to begin with followed by just one as more alcohol is formed. It then stays on the skins for around 10 days to get good extraction of colour, mineral and tannin.

For maturation it is decanted into French Oak Barrels, 30% of which are new, for 6 months before further decanting into brand new French Oak Barrels for further ageing for around 16 months.

The wine has a bright, fresh and mineral nose with good integration of the oak nuances. Fine and well fruited on the palate it grows well and has a clean, bright finish. An excellent wine that will develop well in bottle for a good decade or even two but good to go now.

Enjoy these exceptional wines at 15% below their usual prices and enjoy the rest of your summer. Even if you can’t make it to Spain, you can still enjoy the wines.