Bodegas Volver ‘Tarima Hill Blanco’, Alicante
Zingy Merseguera, an Alicante mainstay grape, joins international crowd-pleaser Chardonnay in this contemporary blend from one of our favourite Spanish producers. Barrel fermentation lends extra complexity to the wine: think aromas of ripe pineapple, mango and peach, with hints of vanillas and honey.
Rezabal ‘Ilaria’ Txakoli, Getariako Txakolina
It doesn’t get more classic Basque than Txakoli – the easy-to-drink, bracingly fresh white wine of the region. This textbook example comes from a family producer whose vineyards are perched right on the coast, so refreshing breezes lend the wine both a saline character and real elegance.
Bodegas Reboreda-Morgadío ‘A Telleira’ Godello, Ribeiro
Pablo Estévez has been awarded Winemaker of the Year twice at the BACO Awards, and his bottlings consistently gain 90+ points in Spain’s prestigious Guía Peñin. For this wine, grapes are plucked from a 40-year-old plot of Godello. The result showcases the benefits of old vines.
Morgadio Da Torre Alvarinho, Vinho Verde
If you love citrusy Spanish Albariño, you need to try Alvarinho from Portugal – it’s the exact same grape. Its heartland is in the Vinho Verde region. With vineyards set back from the Atlantic, and hotter summers than elsewhere in the DOC, this wine has a more generous body and character than the average bottle.
Boas Quintas Morgado de Bucelas Arinto, Bucelas
Small but mighty, the Bucleas region produces the kinds of refreshing whites everyone loves drinking on a hot summer’s day. Aromas of lime and green apple, zing and minerality – they’re the hallmarks of Arinto, the area’s star grape variety.
Quinta Do Casal Branco ‘Falcoaria White’, Tejo
This is a single-varietal wine made from Portugal’s indigenous Fernão Pires grape. 65-year-old vines create incredible complexity and it’s subtlety aged in French oak – so think of it as Portugal’s answer to fine white Burgundy.
Viñedos Singulares ‘Corral del Obispo’, Bierzo
If you don’t yet know Mencia, the food-friendly red grape from north-western Spain that’s turning heads among wine lovers. This bottling is a perfect introduction. Local winemaking legend Raul Perez harvests grapes from characterful 60- to 90-year-old vines. Its violet hues, liquorice and berry flavours are sure to delight.
Altolandon Bobal Organic, Manchuela
This old-vine Bobal is truly one of a kind. It’s made at Spain’s highest mainland winery, set a whopping 1,100 metres above sea level. Expect an abundance of juicy summer-berry flavour and plenty of freshness.
Bodegas Izadi Crianza, Rioja
If you’re looking to crack open a first-rate classic Rioja, look no further than this Crianza from Bodegas Izadi. The aromatically intense, ruby-hued wine is bursting with red fruit, liquorice, spice and wafts of background smoke. The ‘crizana’ tag means that it’s been aged for a minimum of one year in barrel and another in bottle before release.
Guelbenzu Azul ‘Finca La Lombana’, Ribera del Queiles
Innovation in Spanish winemaking takes all kinds of forms, as this blend of local Tempranillo and international grapes Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon goes to show. And it’s not just the young upstart producers breaking the mould – Guelbenzu has history in the Ribera de Queiles region dating back to 1851. Expect an intense, fruity and vanilla spiced aroma from this powerful, structured red. Meanwhile, the palate is all ripe black fruit, balsamic and cocoa.
Casa Ermelinda Freitas Alicante Bouschet Reserva, Setúbal
Harvested from some of the oldest Alicante Bouschet plots in Portugal, this wine shows off all that’s loveable about the Iberian grape variety: it’s big, it’s fruity and it’s wonderfully concentrated. The perfect pour if you’re craving a bottle with serious personality.
Monte Da Ravasqueira ‘Vinhas de Xisto Reserva’, Douro
Complex and concentrated, this easy-to-love red shows off the skill of Monte Da Ravasqueira, one of the Douro Valley’s top table wine producers. The vineyards also have something to do with it – they’re located at higher altitudes, so grapes maintain a delicious freshness. If you thought the Douro Valley was only about sweet fortified Port, this bottle will really open your eyes to the region’s diversity.
