Spanish indigenous whites: Panel tasting results

Bárbara Requejo and husband Guzmán Sánchez are behind this micro-producer, with their first vintage emerging in 2021. In this high region near Madrid, small parcels of old vines are the base for their fascinating wines, in this case Albillo Real from dry-farmed vines planted in 1971. Winemaking includes a short period of skin-contact and seven months in oak. David Williams: Initially slightly funky-natural, but opening up into pure and engaging pear and canteloupe melon. Lots of bitter-sweet fruits, olive oil, fennel seed, camomile and a powerful vermouth-bitters finish. Intriguing and evocative. Matthew Forster MW: Yeast extract and orange peel, waxier top notes. Real depth and interest. Not for the fainthearted! Ines Salpico: Intriguing nose with deep aromas of fermented red apple, poached pear and quince paste. Rich texture and a delicious layer of almond croissant and strudel.

Founded in Santa Cruz del Retamar in 1999, Arrayán was orginally focused on international grape varieties. Under the leadership of Maite Sánchez, head winemaker since 2009, attention has switched to indigenous varieties such as Albillo Real, from which Sánchez makes two wines from two sites in the Sierra de Gredos, one in Cebreros and this ‘outstanding’ example, aged for eight months in 300L and 500L French oak casks. David Williams: Downy, honeyed oatmeal and savoury flavours, a touch of nutty oiliness, fleshy green olives and quince. Not high acid yet still feels fresh and agile. Matthew Forster MW: Complex secondary notes of straw, saffron and hazelnut. Firm, structured finish. Ines Salpico: Pleasantly fleshy with an elegant nutty aspect – glazed almonds, frangipane – adding some sweetness and intensity.

Hiruzta is a family-owned and -run Txakoli producer that began its life in 2007 when Asensio Rekalde and his two sons planted a 17ha, southfacing vineyard in the foothills of Jaizkibel mountain. A winery followed in 2012. The family sells its wines in 20 countries, with this unoaked varietal the heart of a range that includes a red, a rosé and a sparkling. David Williams: Super-bright, racy, fluent and tangy: so much energy and drive, just a hint of CO2 prickle, ripe red apple and saline finish. Matthew Forster MW: Excellent concentration of ripe Conference pear fruit, balanced with invigorating acidity. Very complete. Ines Salpico: Lovely florality with a subtle flinty edge. Fleshy with a lifted tang of lemonade, clementine, yellow apple and juicy melon. Acidity balanced by a mineral edge and juicy fruit.

Mirabelle plum, confit apricot fruit and baking spice aromas. A fleshy core of ripe red apples, pear, melon and frangipane with hints of macadamia nut brittle and nougat creaminess. Gentle and savoury with satisfying freshness and good complexity on the finish.

Subtly herbal with fruit sweetness and savoury undertow. Orange citrus, fennel seed, lime, acacia honey and toast with fresh nutty and woody overtones. Chalky-mineral acidity and a vermouth-like macerated herb mix. Pear juice kick on the long finish.

100% Vijiriega. Nuanced nose with rose petals, jasmine, red apple, nectarine. Ripe apricot and mandarin. Smoky mineral character with red apple, salt, spice and savoury tones. Vibrant acidity. Good zesty lift to the finish. Scintillating, full of life and energy.

Coconut cream and camomile, a burst of thyme honey and bitters. Orchard fruit, melon and papaya core with a lining of lemon curd. Toasted almonds, fresh walnuts, Seville orange marmalade and mulberry. Ginger spice and nougatine layer the pleasantly juicy finish.

Toasted oak, white grapefruit and blood orange, with fresh almonds, pickled walnuts and hazelnut shells. Juicy apple, pear and pink peach fruit with wild fennel and oregano nuances. Long finish with preserved lemon and verbena.

Sweet orchard fruit on the nose, with intense red apple peel, nectarine, nutmeg and white pepper. Appealing strawberry and raspberry fruit character - juicy, soft and rounded. An intriguing, detailed and complex wine with an uplifting finish.

Savoury fenugreek, cumin seed and caraway aromas. Pure citrus with a delicate saltiness. A pleasant mineral aspect with crunchy green apple, pear and white peach throughout. Cream and nuts with a gentle, mouthfilling, savoury-yeasty finish.

Floral and fragrant white peach aromas. Mineral and nuanced palate with grippy citrus, lemon-lime zest and clementine. Slightly candied with a good concentration of plum and apricot fruit and excellent balancing acidity. Great potential.

Expressive pineapple and mango fruit. Rich but graceful and fluent in style. A nice quality of shimmering tropical ripeness, nutmeg and ginger spice. Persistent and layered, with verbena and lemon peel freshness on the finish.

Attractive and distinctive with smoky, candied peel and ripe stone fruit. Vibrant lemon and green apple with a pithy bite and spice to keep the mouth awake. Very good tension between fruit ripeness and frame.

Quince and herbal-fennel seed with a touch of acacia. Crunchy red apple, some well-integrated tannin, then more herb-inflected stone fruit. Frangipane and toasted almonds. Pleasant, subtle phenolic grip.

Flinty, reductive, smoky nose. Intensely lime and bitter orange palate, cherry and bitter lemon, steel wire acidity with good mineral framework. Intense, tangy and uncompromising, it will be fascinating to see what happens next in its evolution.

Spiced apple and mandarin orange with an intense fleshy core of ripe orchard fruits. Subtle cinnamon on a silky palate with integrated mineral acidity. Toasted wild fennel, cardamom, nutmeg and a delicious nutty edge. Long and tangy.

Mistletoe and pine resin, creamy and oily interest - citrus oils, essential oils, and a hint of caraway-like character. Red apple, clementine, ripe pear and pink grapefruit. Gastronomic style - just a touch of alcoholic heat on the finish.

Honeyed tone to the macerated, cooked citrus aromas. Lingering herbal notes of oregano and wild fennel. Toasty, sour plum, some candied citrus crystals. Oak influence with almond, honeycomb and pickled walnut notes. Long finish.

Juicy pear and white peach aromas. Lemon and papaya flavours with a crunchy pineapple grip. Pleasant, fluid texture with fine concentration, freshness and mineral purity. Succulent, clean, and precise with good length.

Intriguing nose of lime marmalade and toast, fresh and baked peaches with hints of kerosene and struck match. Lime zest, gooseberry and green apple dominate with a pleasantly spicy, mineral twist. Long building finish, warming alcohol.

Struck match, cinnamon spice and wood tannins and spiced apple and pear. Curious and compelling, bruised apple compote, pear skin and cherry stone. A savoury edge from flor ageing adds a salty lining that is quite delicious.

Toasted almonds, dried toast, evolved barley sugar and crème brûlée aromas. Crunchy fruit, yellow apple and pear, rich and full, creamily soft and tangy, with a coffee-toasty richness. Lots of oak, but very stylishly delivered.

Restrained nose of honeyed almond nougat. Soft and creamy with subtle bursts of woody forest bark bitterness and quince-red apple pulp. Pear, melon and marzipan with a full-bodied, broad and pleasantly spicy lift to the finish.

Lime zest, green apple, pear peel, with an undertone of white grapefruit and wet stone. Ripe, rounded, apricot fruit, juicy and succulent. Opulent Mirabelle plum and hints of salt and camomile. White pepper and mace finish.

Perfumed apricot and nutmeg spice with zesty lemon and pink grapefruit. White peach fleshiness and ripe limey citrus tones. Fruit definition and a herbal tail of celery and fennel. A honeysuckle twist and a touch of heat on the finish.

Apple and pear juice nose. Mediterranean herbal quality - wild oregano, wild fennel, lavender. Mulberry and red cherry fruit. Pleasant savoury edge. Hay and camomile with a trickle of chalky mineral acidity and a long almond-cherry Bakewell finish.