Spanish Garnacha: Panel tasting results

Beth Willard, Valentin Radosav and Diana Rollan tasted 69 wines, with 9 Outstanding and 28 Highly Recommended.

Spanish Garnacha: Panel tasting scores

69 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 9

Highly recommended 28

Recommended 32

Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit current-release, still red wines in which Garnacha makes up at least 85% of the blend, from any Spanish protected denomination or geographical indication, priced in the domestic market at a minimum of €8 retail, or equivalent in export markets

There are days when you approach a tasting with trepidation, not because the quality might be questionable, but because you have high expectations and desperately don’t want to be disappointed. This was one of those tastings, and with committed ‘garnachistas’ on the panel, the wines had a lot to live up to.

Garnachas from Spain… such a broad remit, but gee, did it deliver!

Scroll down to see notes and scores of the top-scoring wines from our Spanish Garnacha tasting

Garnacha’s versatile charms

The diversity of Spain’s regions and the ability of Garnacha to adapt to different terroirs in its native environment was on show.

From the rugged mountains of the Meseta to the Mediterranean, the flexibility of the grape offered light and lively wines from the Sierra de Gredos to big and bold wines from the slate soils and heat of Priorat.

Diana Rollan commented that the tasting ‘proved the quality and versatility of this Spanish variety, which deserves more recognition’.

The judges were also impressed with some of the value on show. Indeed, one of the top-scoring wines (see recommendations below), El Marciano from Gredos, west of Madrid, is impressively priced for a region where the cost of production is incredibly high due to the challenging mountain terrain.

It is a wine that you’ll often find by the glass in the bars and restaurants of Madrid, with its beautiful varietal and regional character going a long way to explain why.

‘When I see Gredos on the label, I immediately think of a really good Garnacha,’ commented Rollan. ‘Maestro’s El Marciano is a great way to introduce consumers to the variety and region by the glass.’

Varietal character shining through

Aragón also offered wines of excellent value with bigger and bolder styles, balanced with impressive acidity, while wines from Priorat and Rioja showed how well the grape is adapted to their different terroirs.

Rioja in particular, judges felt, presented outstanding interpretations of Garnacha: the Palacio de Manzanos 1890 offers seductive voluptuousness from old vines in Rioja Oriental, while Elías López’s Ilusio Verum is pure and almost ethereal, from the cooler zone of Cordovín.

Judges all commented on the judicious use of oak in the higher-scoring wines; many of these wines had been barrel-aged, but the wood was of very high quality and didn’t overpower the fruit.

‘I love Garnacha because of the grape itself,’ noted Valentin Radosav. ‘When winemakers extract fruit and don’t place reliance on oak, it shows off the style of the different regions.’

It is interesting to note that, among the top-scoring wines, one was fermented and aged in stainless steel, one in concrete, two others in a combination of oak and concrete or amphora, and others in larger barrels (between 400-litre and 600-litre).

The move away from 225-litre barrels reflects a broader trend in certain regions of Spain and seems to benefit this particular variety.

The tasting confirmed the judging panel’s biases towards Spain’s native grape and the quality it can produce on home soil.

It reflected the new wave of red wines being made across the country – a movement that represents a return to the past and a more authentic and pure expression of Spain’s indigenous varieties.

Spanish Garnacha panel tasting scores

Wines were tasted blind

The judges

Beth Willard writes about and promotes Spanish wines in a number of markets globally, having formerly worked for many years in senior wine buying roles in the UK. She is a member of Spain’s Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino, and is one of the five Co-Chairs of the DWWA

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

Diana Rollan is group head of beverage for D&D London restaurants group. A DWWA judge for Spain, she formerly managed training and wine buying at Hakkasan Group as its UK head of wine

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