A British friend recently told me that Spaniards lack self-confidence when talking about wine, an idea that surprised me because it didn’t fit with what I knew. Not at the time of making them, he continued – they have been making wonderful wines for generations – but because they don’t realize that, without much fuss, they have managed to make them magnificent. Maybe it’s a question of humility. But, after two decades of searching for excellence in the glass, I can say it bluntly: Spain is the most exciting wine country in the world. Without the slightest doubt.
It hasn’t always been this way. For many years Spanish winemakers have worked in the shadow of chateau of Bordeaux that Robert Parker promoted, almost ashamed of the native vines that seemed to lack the dignity of Cabernet and Merlot. Many, to stand out, have decided to increase extraction, new oak and alcohol, confusing noise with seriousness. But then a new generation arrived, open-minded, well-traveled and inspired by the elegance they had savored in lesser-known places like Chambolle-Musigny and Chablis. They turned their gaze inward and rediscovered long-forgotten Spanish vineyards and varieties that were patiently waiting for someone to understand them again.
When a few years ago Dani Landi, of the duo responsible for the revolutionary Comando G winery, in the Sierra de Gredos, told me that “Spain is like a castle closed for a long time and whose treasures the world is now starting to discover”, I thought I understood what he was referring to. Hand. Until I visited the wineries of Gredos, Ribeira Sacra, Rioja, Catalonia, the Basque Country and Jerez and tasted wines with winemakers who talk about the land as if it were a religion, I didn’t really understand it. Spain was not a sleeping giant, but a country that was quietly perfecting itself without the rest of us noticing. These are not refined wines to attract American critics or follow trends. They are authentic, alive and unmistakably Spanish; and that’s why they are so much better.
For years, Spanish gastronomy has been the best in the world; Now it is the winemakers, with their authenticity, their passion and their meticulous craftsmanship, who are starting to get noticed. These five bottles show how far and how high Spain has come.
More from Serral
Pepe Raventós is the closest thing to wine aristocracy that Catalonia has; one of his ancestors invented cava in 1872, but Pepe abandoned the name at the end of 2012 because he thought it had become too industrial and too geographically spread. Of the three cava grapes, Pepe has an extraordinary mix of elegance and determination and is taking Xarel·lo to places where the grape has never gone.
Ube Miraflores
The new generation of great Sherry producers, people like Ramiro Ibáñez and his friends Willy Pérez and Ale Muchada, are producing unfortified table wines that capture the true essence of the place. This saline and mineral palomino spends a couple of weeks under flower before being transferred to old barrels, producing a light and refreshing white wine with echoes of Sherry. For wine lovers, this region offers plenty of value, flavor and history, and these pastured wines add even more intrigue. I was fascinated from the first glass.
Vidonia, from Suertes del Marqués
The north coast of Tenerife is a timeless landscape; When you look out over the Atlantic, it’s easy to imagine the British and Irish galleons docking here to stock up on the island’s wines; In 1600 they exported an incredible 15 million litres. A couple of centuries later, the trade had almost completely evaporated, until, in more recent times, some winemakers such as Suertes del Marqués brought back the production of quality wines. Vidonia, like Ramiro Ibáñez’s Ube Miraflores, is made entirely from palomino grapes (also called listán blanco in the Canary Islands), although in this area it has a delicious smoky aroma coming from the volcanic soils. I have loved seeing the evolution of Vidonia since the first vintage in 2011: it is a complex and refined Spanish white wine, imbued with the love that winemaker Jonatan García Lima has for the white wines of Burgundy.
Els Escurçons, by Mas Martinet
I can’t even imagine the obstacles a winemaker faces in a male-dominated wine culture, but judging by Sara Pérez’s wonderful Priorat wines, she far surpasses them. If what mattered in the red wines of the 2000s were power, color and extraction, this wine is the exact opposite: much lighter in color and with a delicate bouquet, rich in the classic raspberry and white pepper aromas of Grenache. The Pérez family was also fundamental at the beginning of the professional career of Dominik Huber, who arrived from Germany to work in his winery before founding Terroir al Límit. Their Les Manyes, made at high altitude, combines power with an ethereal delicacy that reminds me of the Grand Cru Vosne-Romanée; and it is one of my favorite Spanish reds.
Blessed Destination Albillo Mayor Los Prados
I have great respect for those who come from abroad to realize the dream of producing wine in a country that is not theirs by birth. In Burgundy, Belgian Jean-Marie Guffens and Englishman William Kelley each produce some of the best wines in the entire region. Meanwhile, in the Ribera del Duero, the head sommelier of the Noble Rot group (founded by Dan Keeling and Mark Andrew), Greek Terry Kandylis, has discreetly acquired four hectares of old glass-grown Tempranillo, Garnacha and Albillo vines around the town of Canalejas de Peñafiel. Terry, like the best Spanish producers today, employs a lighter, more delicate touch than this region’s reputation might indicate. He is one of the most humble and knowledgeable people I know about the world of wine and this is reflected in the generosity of his wines.
