Spanish Viura/Macabeo: Panel tasting results

Beth Willard, Matthew Forster MW and Andrew Johnson tasted 86 wines, with 4 Outstanding and 31 Highly recommended

Spanish Viura/Macabeo: Panel tasting scores

86 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 4

Highly recommended 31

Recommended 46

Commended 5

Fair 0

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their wines produced entirely or predominantly from Viura/Macabeo/Macabeu (maximum 15% of any other varieties) from anywhere in Spain

Scroll down to see the top-scoring wines from our Viura/Macabeo panel tasting

‘These deserve praise’

Some tasting days are better than others and this flight of Viura-based wines started with a highlight: the very first wine turned out to be one of the day’s best, scoring 95 points.

Despite its inherent flavour neutrality, Viura went on to show off its adaptability and ageing potential in this diverse tasting of one of Spain’s most important white varieties.

The majority of the wines in the tasting came from Rioja and the region starred, with solid quality across the board. Eight of the top 10 wines were Riojan in origin and underwent oak ageing, as well as further development in bottle.

These wines displayed appealing palate weight, gaining complexity over time while maintaining the region’s hallmark freshness. Viura’s ageing capacity really thrilled the judges.

Andrew Johnson was struck by the considered winemaking. ‘There are some wonderful examples of aged styles done with care,’ he explained. ‘These deserve praise’

Likewise, Matthew Forster MW was encouraged by the winemakers’ stylistic choices. ‘I was braced for oak, but we found contemporary styles,’ he said. ‘Even with heavy oak, the wines are balanced.’

The joy of divergence

But the wines weren’t limited to a hegemony of style. An interesting point of comparison came by way of low-intervention and skin-contact wines from Catalonia.

A brisat (skin-contact wine) from Montsant featured among the top performers (see recommendations): a wine that shows off its Mediterranean character with ripe stone fruit and dried herbs, such as thyme and rosemary.

And two skin-contact wines from Costers del Segre (Recommended, both scoring well at 89pts, so not featured in this report but available via the link to decanter.com further down), offered up heady aromas of quince and marmalade, supported by vibrant tannic energy.

So, while Rioja, with its cooler, higher-elevation terroir, dominates the list, there are wonderfully characterful whites from Spain’s coastal zones, demonstrating Viura’s quiet plasticity.

Like a dark and broody Scandi noir TV series that slowly unravels but reveals little in the first few episodes, Viura can also deliver a killer punch with time and patience.

What to eat with Viura/Macabeo wines, by Fiona Beckett

Given that we’re mainly talking about white Rioja, many of our suggested pairings are going to be familiar: rich fish such as hake or turbot, shellfish such as seared scallops or grilled lobster, and substantial pork dishes would all sit comfortably with these older, more complex wines.

But the freshness of many of the wines indicates that they could be partnered with lighter fish and vegetable dishes.

As we’re heading towards spring, white asparagus, artichokes, Spanish spring vegetable stews such as menestra and ravioli stuffed with seafood would all be good options.

Some of the wines were quite different, though – the oxidative Panorámico O (see recommendations), for example, which could, like a vin jaune, be partnered with roast chicken and morels, umami-rich Japanese broths and aged cheeses such as Manchego and Comté.

Skin-contact wines, which also featured in this tasting, are more akin to a red wine when it comes to pairing and could take you off in a different direction: Middle Eastern food, tagines, grilled lamb – maybe a typical Valencian paella. Viura, as the judges found, is your flexible friend.

See all notes and scores from the Viura/Macabeo tasting

The judges

Beth Willard is a wine communicator and judge with a particular passion for the wines of Spain. A regular contributor to Decanter and one of the five Co-Chairs of the DWWA, she is also a member of the Gran Orden de Caballeros del Vino

Matthew Forster MW is a wine consultant and education specialist, and founder of The Wine Partnership. A former director at the Wine & Spirit Education Trust, he has a passion for the wines of Spain, Portugal and South America

Andrew Johnson is managing director of wine merchant WoodWinters and also heads his own project, Veiled Vineyards, which aims to unearth ‘hidden’ wines that might otherwise have missed out on reaching the market

Viura/Macabeo panel tasting results:

Wines were tasted blind

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