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Full-bodied Spanish red wines: 10 top bottles worth seeking out

From Ribera del Duero to Rioja, Spain produces a range of wine styles that will appeal to lovers of full-bodied reds. Julie Sheppard reveals which grapes, styles and regions you should look out for and recommends bottles to try – including some well-priced hidden gems.

If you’re a lover of hearty red wines, then Spain will undoubtedly already be on your radar.

With its wealth of native red grapes, such as Tempranillo, and traditional oaked styles like Rioja gran reserva, Spain can deliver reliable quality.

‘The 2001, 2005, 2010, even 2009, and then the 2011 vintage were all showing well,’ noted Sarah Jane Evans MW, DWWA Co-Chair and author of The Wines of Northern Spain, at a recent panel tasting.


Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for 10 full-bodied Spanish red wines to stock up on


Ribera del Duero in northwest Spain is another name that should be on your list.

Again, Tempranillo is the star here, put to good use by top producers such as Vega Sicilia and Dominio de Pingus. ‘All great Ribera wines are the result of careful site(s) selection, mature vines, low yields, smart winemaking and deft ageing,’ notes Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, DWWA Regional Chair for Spain.


Full-bodied Spanish red wines to try


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