Spanish wines are slowly gaining popularity with American drinkers. Spain has over 2.9 million acres planted—making it the most widely planted wine producing nation and the third largest wine producer in the world. Spain’s vineyards produce fewer grapes and space out the vines because many of its regions are dry so the water distribution needs to nourish the vineyards adequately. The country has an abundance of native red grape varieties, including Tempranillo, Garnacha, Carignan and Mourvedre. The wines described below will include most of the grapes mentioned above, so read on if you are interested!
R-OH, Montsant Spain, 2009
This is a blend from Cornudella de Montsant, which is surrounded by mountains in a high-altitude and cool growing environment. During the grape growing year, the vineyards see intense summers and freezing winters. The vineyards have discovered that Carignan and Grenache grapes grow well in those conditions, so that is the blend in this wine. By itself Carignan tastes fruity without being jammy, because it has both acid and tannin that also make it a favorite for blends. Grenache is a bold, fruity wine that is put in blends and also made as a wine by itself. In making this wine, the vintners did a good job of producing a pleasing, medium-bodied, dry fruity wine. If you like Pinot Noir, you will probably like this wine too. Give it a try!
Alvaro Palacios’ Camins del Priorat, Spain, 2011
This wine is 100% Garnacha, and very well done. The color is a purple-red and I can smell dark red fruits in this wine. Although the wine is made with a hearty grape, this wine balances depth and fullness with graceful power and is not too fruity. That style is typical of this region in Spain – Priorat. Priorat produces powerful red wines, and is characterised by its terroir of black slate and quartz soil. Priorat is one of only two wine regions in Spain to qualify as DOCa, the highest wine region level established by Spanish law. Priorat is in the Catalonia region of Spain, bordering France and Andorra to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the east. Priorat is the Catalan spelling, while the Spanish spelling is Priorato; so if you see both terms, they are the same!
Fronton de Oro, Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands Spain, 2010
This is a fresh and spicy blend of Listan Negro and Tintilla grapes. Spain has so many more grape varieties than we can imagine! Minerality from volcanic soil supports juiciness with a hint of black pepper. The Canary Islands has been making wine since the 15th century, and many of the islands’ indigenous grape varieties have flourished there—untouched by Phylloxera—for centuries. The Canary Islands also have small microclimates, so grapes from different parts of the island grow in different conditions. That will affect the flavor of wine from each little village on the islands. Many people are tempted to ask “what is this wine like”, and expect to hear an answer like “Pinot Noir”. My answer for this wine in particular is that it is incomparable. The best thing you can do is just try the wine!
Vina Arana, Rioja Alta Spain, 2005 Reserva
I know that lots of people love wine from Rioja, so I decided to include one. Like all wines from Rioja, this wine is Tempranillo based, with a little bit of Mazuelo. The style of this wine is considered more “classic”, meaning it is mostly Tempranillo, aged in French or American oak, and more earthy tasting. If you are wondering about some classifications you see on Rioja wines, here is a primer of the two most commonly seen levels of Rioja:
Crianza: Aged for at least two years with several months in the bottle. The newer wine styles in this category usually taste like cherry and spice.
Reserva: Aged for a minimum of 3 years, with at least 1 year in cases. The newer wine styles in this category usually have more complex flavors, with some vanilla notes from the oak.
It is worth noting that this wine is the most plain of the four Spanish that I tried, which is a good reason for anyone to try Spanish wines that are not from Rioja!
