Spanish indigenous reds: panel tasting results
In an extensive tasting, half of this wide selection of red styles scored 90pts or above, saying much about the value and diversity across Spain’s regions.
Sarah Jane Evans MW, Christine Allen and Beth Willard tasted 159 wines, with 13 Outstanding and 67 Highly recommended.
Spanish indigenous reds panel tasting scores
159 wines tasted
Exceptional 0
Outstanding 13
Highly recommended 67
Recommended 72
Commended 4
Fair 3
Poor 0
Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit current-release red wines made from any Spanish grape except Tempranillo, encompassing single varietals or blends including at least 85% of one indigenous Spanish grape, the remaining 15% also of native varieties
How do you approach a tasting with 20 or more different varieties from all across Spain? In our case, with pleasure and anticipation. The aim of this tasting was to showcase the exciting range of native red varieties to discover in Spain. The tasting revealed the mosaic that is Spain: in terrain, in climate and in landscape – and in diversity of varieties.
Our overriding verdict from the tasting is that Spain is the country for explorers. Step outside your usual choices on the wine list, and you will be charmed. Half the wines here scored 90 points or above, and 13 of them were rated Outstanding (see below).
Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top wines from the Spanish indigenous reds panel tasting
While you may enjoy the Tempranillos for which Spain is so famous (in Rioja, in Ribera del Duero as Tinta Fina, in Toro as Tinta de Toro, and more ), the aim was to look beyond Tempranillo. We requested, instead, single varietal wines or those made using a minimum of 85% of one (indigenous) variety in the blend. Of course, one thing that Spain does very well is blends, and this varietal approach meant we were unable to include some exciting field blends. It’s worth remembering that Galicia is a fine source of these, with varieties such as Brancellao, Caiño Longo or Pedral in the mix.
Production size and experience is key in this context. Priorat, for instance, had five of our 13 Outstanding wines, illustrating its solid experience with Garnacha and Cariñena, as well as old vines. Elsewhere, it was great to taste Tinto Velasco, Rufete and Tintilla de Rota, but it was impossible to generalise about the varieties from just one or two examples of each. For Rioja lovers, there are still options. Not just Garnacha, with which producers are finding the best sites – but Graciano and Mazuelo, and also Maturana Tinta, probably Rioja’s oldest grape variety. It is being recuperated but production is still small.
See all 159 wines from the Spanish indigenous reds panel tasting
Christine Allen commented on the very varied approaches to winemaking, both traditional and modern. As a panel, we preferred the unoaked/lightly oaked and balanced styles, and Beth Willard criticised ‘the overoaked, “made wines” with no clear varietal expression’.
Did anything else disappoint? Mencía, perhaps. Mencía is a rising star in the category of refreshing crisp reds, and we had high hopes of its often enjoyably unoaked wines, with fruit singing through. The best examples in the tasting, Allen said, were ‘juicy, high- toned, value, drinkable wines’, but it’s worth noting that only two managed to make it into our top 20.
What was missing from the tasting? While we had four wines from the Canaries – with two scoring Outstanding – we had nothing from the Balearics. Stylistically, while we tasted wines made using amphorae, Willard pointed out that we didn’t see examples of another trend in Spain today: low/no sulphur approaches, and natural wines.
Very few of these wines were in the super-premium price category – proof that the best of these wines from Spain’s own varieties offer great value, as well as drinking pleasure.
Top scoring Spanish indigenous reds
The judges
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 due out in January 2023.
Christine Allen is marketing director for fine wine distributor Maisons Marques et Domaines. With years of experience in both on- and off-trade as well as in fine wine, she is particularly focused on Old World regions, notably Spain, Portugal and Burgundy, and is a DWWA judge for Spain.
Beth Willard is involved in sourcing wines for both the on- and off-trade in the UK, with a particular focus on Spain and Eastern Europe. Formerly buying manager at Direct Wines, she is a DWWA joint Regional Chair for Spain, and a member of Spain’s Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino.
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