Christine Parkinson, Sarah Jane Evans MW and Valentin Radosav tasted 93 wines, with 8 Outstanding and 49 Highly Recommended.
Premium Spanish sparkling: Panel tasting scores
93 wines tasted
Exceptional 0
Outstanding 8
Highly recommended 49
Recommended 36
Commended 0
Fair 0
Poor 0
Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their Spanish sparkling wines produced according to the traditional (secondary fermentation in bottle) or ancestral (single fermentation in bottle) methods, and priced above €17 in the domestic market, or equivalent in GBP or USD in those markets
Premium Spanish sparkling turned out to be a wide-ranging brief, capturing wines from several parts of Spain, vinified in both the traditional and ancestral methods and available at a range of price points. As Sarah Jane Evans MW said: ‘This tasting was [just] a snapshot.’
Pét-nat wines were tasted from various appellations and, as expected, were among the youngest in the line-up, typically from the 2021 and 2022 vintages. These were textural, often a touch smoky or saline, and the best showed vivid detail.
While the quality varied, the panel had no difficulty finding an outstanding example. ‘A delightful surprise,’ is how Valentin Radosav described the performance of the ancestral-method wines.
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the Premium Spanish sparkling panel tasting
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Premium Spanish sparkling panel tasting scores
Wines were tasted blind
{}
{"wineId":"84785","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84786","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84787","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84788","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84789","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84790","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84791","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84792","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84793","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84794","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84795","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84796","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84797","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84798","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84799","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84800","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84801","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84802","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84803","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84804","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84805","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84806","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84807","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84808","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84809","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84810","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84811","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84813","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84814","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84812","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84815","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{"wineId":"84816","displayCase":"standard","paywall":true}
{}
The judges
Christine Parkinson is co-founder of Brimful Drinks and of the World Alcohol-Free Awards. A wine and sake specialist, she was formerly at Michelin-starred Hakkasan Group for 18 years as group head of wine. Numerous career awards include The Caterer’s Wine & Spirits Ambassador Catey in 2018.
Sarah Jane Evans MW is a Decanter contributing editor and Co-Chair of the Decanter World Wine Awards. Her latest book The Wines of Central and Southern Spain is scheduled for release in May 2025 (£35 Académie du Vin Library.
Valentin Radosav is learning and development manager for 5-star hotels in London. A qualified Advanced Sommelier and a DWWA judge, he was formerly head sommelier at Michelin-starred Gymkhana restaurant in Mayfair, having also previously worked at other top venues in the UK and Dubai.
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