Spain & Portugal – autumn collection

85% Viura. 15% Malvasia Riojana. 18 months in oak – they bottle part of the vintage with longer in oak than the other part but this is not indicated on the label – very confusing if you end up with both on the shelf.
Very similar character to the 2012 – more creamy texture than fruit flavour – but more oaky. I'm not convinced the extra time in oak is an improvement. (JH)

Sauvignon-like, including the little sweetener on the palate. A bit hard on the end. Not in the first flush of youth... (JR)

Neutral nose but some fruit in the middle and excellent acidity. Agreeably fresh. (JR)

100% hand picked Viura. Some substance on the nose – just a hint of lemon and wax. Clean enough and some fruit weight on the mid palate. No desperate hurry to drink this.  (JR)

Co-op producer for this Tesco 'Finest' bottling though the F-word has moved to the back label. Very light nose with just a hint of lemon and lots of fermentation aroma. Nothing like the truly finest Godello but perhaps it will pique people's curiosity. No shortage of acidity. (JR)

Toasty, oak-dominated, smoky nose and palate. The acidity has held on, but this seems more like California than Europe – although there is genuine savouriness on the finish. Losing body. Venerable, but ailing. (RH)

Toasty, rich and vanilla-scented – shows its oak influence above the fruit. Slightly flabby finish. (RH)

Oxidative, orange peel character. Definitely in the tertiary stage – no primary fruit left. Attractive honey and toffee on the palate. More complexity and toastiness than the 2003, however. (RH)

Yoghurt style nose and aromas. Peach melba. Still alive, but it doesn’t seem to have gained anything from its maturity. Quite fat. (RH)

Rounded, less vibrantly brisk than the 2007 and 2010. Showing its age, but not necessarily its wisdom. Not quite as complete as some others – still a pleasant drink, with a typical Chardonnay creaminess but not hugely complex. (RH)

Flinty mineral character and smoky, maturing development. Fruit is in retreat. Fine acid gives great definition. Just a bit warm on the finish. (RH)

Juicy tropical fruit. Lots of concentration and a fine vein of acidity. Vivacious. Moderate length, but has tangible weight and substance. Savoury, gastronomic. Enjoyable combination of modern, slick fruit and taut savoury finish – leesy. (RH)

Viura. Plain, flavourless, boring. Doesn't live up to its name I'm afraid. (RH)

Best White Of Show, Spanish Wine Awards 2013.
Attractive, bold oak. Charming stone fruit. Creamy texture. Very flattering and complex. Retains the validity of the variety, despite the obvious oak. (RH)

Fresh, neutral fruit, glossy texture. Perfectly nice, but has more than its fair share of generic Euro-blanco character. (RH)

Best Premium White £20+, Spanish Wine Awards 2013.
Similar nose to oaked Sauvignon – that vegetal vanilla combination. On the nose a slightly putrid, cheesy sickliness that is too odd for me to enjoy. (RH)

Best White Over £10, Spanish Wine Awards 2013.
Floral, almost soapy concentration. Creamy palate. Dry finish, ripe fruit. Very solid, dependable sort of style. (RH)

Best White Under £10, Spanish Wine Awards 2013.
Attractive peachy fruit, soft palate. Very crowd-pleasing, but at the price that is not a criticism by any means! Good typicality. (RH)

Viura in US oak for six months. Rather raw and green appley on the nose. OK it is certainly more interesting than the average white rioja but it's not very comfortable to taste at the moment. (JR)

Peachy and a bit too manipulated for my taste. (JR)

Smart heavy bottle. A blend of four grape varieties – mainly Treixadura. Satisfyingly long and complete and refreshing. GV (JR)

The second bottling. Bit soft. OK but no tension there. (JR)

Full and not quite as tense as some. Soft? (JR)

Wild yeast. Correct and round and lots of excitement there. (JR)

Treixadura with some Godello, Loureira and Albariño. Exciting and leafy. Mouthfilling, sleek, but not that tense. Respectable. (JR)

PX aged under flor. Very very loose. Good label but not as interesting as his sherries are. (JR)

Grenache Blanc. Slightly musty. Light. Rather plain. (RH)

Pure, aromatic, cool nose. Very fine and firm with real structure. Should be lovely either with or without food. Some slight chew and no sweetness. At the offer price QGV. (JR)

The Val de Monterrei is the only Galician region that lies in the basin of the river Duero. The river Támega, a well-known tributary of the Duero, cuts through the region from north to south and moulds its granitic and slatey landscape. Pazos del Rey control 25 hectares of vineyards, situated mainly on the valley’s slopes. The grapes were hand harvested toward the end of September and then destemmed and gently pressed. Maceration occurred at low temperatures and lasted for 12 to 18 hours. After clarification the juice was transferred to stainless steel tanks, where fermentation with indigenous yeasts took place under temperature controlled conditions. Malolactic fermentation was avoided during the winemaking process.
Fine, direct nose. Real substance in the mouth. If I were looking for a fine white in M&S under a tenner I think I would choose this. Not absolutely thrilling but it certainly represents the variety well at a decent price. (JR)

Special project of Laithwaite's buyer Beth with their Rioja supplier Gomez Cruzado in a DO near Burgos. Field blend that is mainly Albillo.
Deep gold. Not crystal clear – bottled by hand and presumably unfiltered. Excitingly heady nose that is on the verge of sourness but is chock full of flavour. Honeyed start and then wonderfully broad, nutty flavours plus freshness. Very serious wine. For food and with a great expansive finish. (JR)

One of those typographical labels so typical of Barcelona and environs. Smells of cooking apples and is clearly quite full with some floral suggestion but a tad too astringent to be really thrilling. Cuts off very suddenly. (JR)

Attractive oceanic nose with lots of clean fruit and saltiness. Absolutely lovely now. Great zesty fruit impact. Long. (JR)

70% Godello, 30% Palomino. I can’t really see why one would blend in Palomino with the great Godello except to cut costs. Certainly it robs the wine of the wonderful raciness and intensity of Godello. Shame! (JR)

Lightly tangy with some waxy character but, just, sufficient acidity. This is pure modern white rioja with a bit of structure. It may even have a bit of ageability. (JR)

Very smart green label. Note this is not a DO wine. Actually the nose is much less punchy than the label impression. And the palate is amazingly watery. I really find it difficult to recognise Verdejo in this wine but I do love the label and can quite understand why it sells so well. (JR)

Good old Co-op tells us on their unusually informative back labels that this wine was made using yeast, nitrogen, yeast nutrient diammonium phosphate and thiamine hydrochloride and was clarified by bentonite and PVPP. Very fresh nose and fine palate. Some of the Godello grape's nobility and structure is evident. Lots of greenness and fruit too but it finishes bone dry. If I had to buy a wine at the Co-op, I might well make a beeline for this one though of course there are many more exciting Godellos. (JR)

100% Albariño. The yield has been reduced to 9,000 kgs/ha, less quantity than the allowed by the DO regulations (12,000 kg/ha) . Matured in stainless-steel tanks for eight months.
Racy and transparent with some oceanic saltiness. Very correct. Even if not remarkable. Would serve well as a classic example. (JR)

Pungent and punchy. Lots of green, cut-grass and unripe mango flavours. Sharp, uncompromisingly bold, and a little hard edged. Not a relaxing drink. (TC)

From steep and sunny vineyards in this small DO in the middle of the protected Prades Mountains. A blend of 40% Macabeo, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Albariño, left on its lees in tank for three months before bottling.
Clever Tomàs Cusiné. Light nose and well balanced with an attractive kick of acidity on the end. Lightly bitter finish. Maybe just a pound too expensive? (JR)

The wine already looks dense! Creditable and racy with a lightly stony undertow but it of course is very junior to O Soro, the top 2011 of blessed memory. But a banker at the price. Cool, calm and collected. Great personality and no desperate hurry to drink. (JR)

Grip, zest and a bit of iodine on the nose. Not one of their bargains but certainly a creditable example of the style. (JR)

Wow! Oily and fun. Lemon and beeswax. Quite extraordinary. Not sure it's for the uninitiated but it is a glorious exception to the rule that most Rioja producers are pretty uninterested in white wine. (JR)

Relatively fat. Serviceable rather than thrilling. Not razor sharp. (JR)

Norrel Robertson MW made this from 5,000 kg of grapes from one hectare in an unspecified location. According to the website of the UK importer Alliance Wine, this is 100% Viognier but it tastes to me like a particularly rich Sauvignon Blanc! There's a slightly metallic undertow. Plus sweetness. Alcohol on the finish. Great packaging but not 100% convincing delivery. (JR)

According to the back label, Terra Alta 'covets' the largest concentration of the Garnacha Blanca grape in the world. I'm smelling just a bit more winemaking than vineyard but perhaps I'm wrong.  It's clean and full bodied with fresh sherbet acidity and the floral nature of some Garnacha Blanca. It certainly has personality that sets it aside from the regular international grape varietals (sic).  (JR)

In a screwcapped burgundy bottle from Norrel Robertson MW. Cool, fresh, green aromas with lovely leafy notes running through it. Less obviously oceanic than many from this DO – almost as though there were some Loureiro in it – but very satisfying. Pretty modern-tasting rather than grunty and artisanal but very well done. (JR)

100% Verdejo. Fermented in 100% new French oak barrels. Vanilla with lightly smoky overtones on the nose. Sweet and rich with a certain fatness of mid palate but great integration of oak and a citrus tension that manages to give shape and posture to all that creamy fruit. This is a dinner-table wine. (TC)

100% Viura. RS <2 g/l, TA 5.89 g/l, pH 3.28. SO2 free/total 30/96 ppm. Grape cold macerated for six to eight hours. Fermented in new American oak casks for 15-20 days at a cool cellar temperature. The young wine remains on lees for some time (although they don't specify for how long).
Lightly spicy with a touch of vanilla pod on the nose. Bright fruit with some buttery sweet oak influence, but good acidity and length. (TC)

A site five kilometres inland, in Condado de Tea. Round and soft. (JR)

Modern white wine style but there is some purity. Tart. (JR)

Organic, old vines (50+ years), hand-harvested. Skin maceration, fermented at 16 ºC.
Very pale, lightly aromatic: creamy pear and stony citrus. Starts fresh but finishes quite soft, lees texture adding depth and a sour flavour on the finish helps to add zest. Persistent. The antithesis of Sauvignon Blanc. And although it may become less zesty with time in bottle, it may become quite interesting in other ways – it has the depth to do so. (JH)

Aged on lees and very lean and lively. Quite a contrast to the rather fat Rheinhessen whites of Motzenbcker wines just tasted... Grip and juice with a vaguely mineral finish. Not silly to see this as a (real) Spanish Chablis. Really quite fine. Should develop nicely. Still quite chewy but not aggressively. (JR)

100% Viura. 6 months sur lie in French oak. Quite restrained on the nose – creamy but not overly oaky. A touch smoky, cool and fresh, modern white Rioja. A sllightly sour grapefruit flavour on the finish, which is finally slightly bitter. Not particularly persistent. (JH)

Best Value Rosado, Spanish Wine Awards 2013.
Creamy, oaked nose with a really distinctive boiled sweet nose. Dry finish – just – and really jolly flavours. (RH)

Monastrell. Pale orange. Off dry, some fermentation aromas but lots to get your teeth into. Chewy enough to be drunk with food. A certain smokiness. Long. A success. But drink it soon – Feb 2014 at the latest. (JR)

Made exclusively from the local and rare variety Romé. Glass stopper. Very pretty deep orangey pink. Like the skin of a ripe, unblemished Victoria plum. Intense but not overpowering aroma of orange and apricot, although there is no association of sweetness with that aroma. There's a hint of something floral and spicy. Salty/herbal too. So fragrant and complex before you have even put it in your mouth. Wonderfully fresh, with a tiniest tannic grip giving it extra gravitas, and the 6 months on the lees adds depth. Tastes dry and full-fruited, then there's that fresh saltiness on the long finish. A terrific dry rosé. (JH)

100% Tempranillo. RS 0 g/l, TA 0.31 g/l, pH 3.46. Held at low temperatures in stainless steel for 24-48 hours and then saignée from the solids before a cool fermentation. Very low yield due to a drought-affected year.
Bright (lurid) pink. Smells like pink chewy sweets (candy). Raspberry-ripple ice cream flavour. Lots of loud bright candied raspberry flavour. It would work as a supermarket rosé, but I'd be disappointed if I bought this from an independent. Hard to believe that this has zero residual sdugar... (TC)

100% Tempranillo. Semi-carbonic maceration. Scented with red cherries, hint of CO2, straightforward and refreshing and was much better with the pig's cheek (with highly reduced sauce made from this wine, served by Baigorri during the DWCC 2013) than the more oaky Baigorri Crianza. GV (JH)

100% Tempranillo, 2 years in French oak. Vanilla-laced cherry. Refined and silky texture and more refreshing than the Crianza. Becoming smooth and gentle with time in the bottle. Again, too much new oak for my taste. (JH)

I don't happen to like the oak notes on this. A bit heavy and oily. Though I suppose it conforms to the Spanish red stereotype. Fully evolved. Oak still dominates fruit even though the fruit seems very mature. (JR)

Dark crimson. Quite a bit of oak on the nose and then balsamic notes on the palate. Interesting wine! Lots of personality. Very slightly sour but there is lots going on. Could do with a tad more bottle age. A bit tart. (JR)

Dark crimson. Lots of modern winemaking here. To reasonably good effect but it's a tad exaggerated. Bitter finish. (JR)

Feral, concentrated, damp-fur sort of nose. Then well-behaved fruit but without much punch. The fruit seems to have been aged out of this wine. (JR)

Gamey nose and without that much concentration. Chewy finish. A bit unresolved at the moment. (JR)

Dark purple. Sweet oak on the nose, but not the rioja type. Gentle and well balanced. Very juicy fruit. A charmer. (JR)

Tannins a little chewy still but good fresh fruit. Just a bit inky on the end. Not quite ready but attractive. (JR)

Dark crimson. Intense and even a little port-reminiscent. Savoury and well balanced. Really appetising. Good stuff! Already a pleasure with well-resolved tannins. (JR)

Some interest and savoury character. A rather 'cool' wine – sleek. Needs food but is well made in claret idiom. Nothing sweet about this! Although the fruit is vaguely mulberry-ish. Very correct and savoury. (JR)

Simple young, unadorned Tempranillo nose. Easy simple fruit. Not very satisfying. A bit skinny on the mid palate. (JR)

Very deep, vibrant crimson. Charming, sweet fruit. Tannins very well managed. Both fruit and structure (many of its peers seem to be all about structure). A very satisfying whole. (JR)

Bright red rim. Gamey, leathery nose and fully evolved palate that is less dense than most of its peers. Not quite enough vibrant fruit. (JR)

Firm tannins and acidity. Desperately needs food but there is not quite enough on the mid palate yet. Lots of oak influence. (JR)

Dark crimson. A bit raw on the nose then sweet and overall a bit simple and awkward. Unknit. (JR)

Mid, ripe, sweet fruit. Good acidity and some tannin. Nearly ready and with a punch. Tea-leaf flavours. Fun and sweet but just a little bit of goatiness. (JR)

Dark purple. Intense nose with masses of tannin still. Not nearly ready but interesting. Firm and tarry. Really attention-grabbing wine. Long. Powerful. Unignorable. But pretty alcoholic! (JR)

A little bit of oak in evidence. Sweet, juicy, Garnacha-esque fruit. Lots of interest here. Lots of fun. Good balance and ready. (JR)

Deep crimson. Young, concentrated and sweetly fruity. Not complex but it delivers easy, unadorned fruit – until the rather sudden finish. (JR)

From the Olivo vineyard and 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano. Not quite as intense a crimson as the Graciano. Sweet, graceful wine that is so much better balanced than the 100% Graciano! Delicate and beautifully balanced with lift and ripeness. (JR)

They are particularly proud of Graciano in 2011 – much riper than usual. Blackish purple. Seems a tad raw to me, but maybe it's riper than usual. Very interesting but marked acidity. It does taste like a blending grape to me. (JR)

Rioja Alavesa. Very dark crimson. Transparent and seductive with real life. Really quite subtle and gorgeous. Long. (JR)

Rioja Alta. Very dark crimson. Heady and very slightly cheesy on the nose. Some animal but no shortage of ambition. Very pure, ripe Tempranillo. Dense with a hint of balsamic. A bit dry on the end at the moment. (JR)

TA 5.4 g/l. Six months in new French and American oak, then 12 months in used oak. Bronze rim, but still deep in the centre. Lovely maturity – earthy, mossy, truffles and meat – but not hugely concentrated. Quite light on the palate, but good freshness and balance. Classically Cabernet, but a bit bony and not as broad and deep as many. Drying out. (RH)

TA 5.5 g/l, 3.76 pH. 18 months in new French oak. Coffee, chocolate, slightly fungal – but not rancid. Much more convincing than the 1989 – livelier and more structural. Dry, smoky finish. Has Cabernet’s aristocratic poise. (RH)

18 months in new French oak. TA 5.5 g/l, 3.52 pH. The last remnants of primary fruit are giving a really attractive ripeness here – tannin is still strong, but in balance. Integrated oak. Spicy, very dark chocolate, cassis. Lovely combination of youthfulness and maturation. (RH)

TA 5.1 g/l, 3.49 pH. 18 months in new French oak. Dense, medicinal, very tannic and potent. Tightly packed. A powerhouse, and has impressive fruit with well retained acidity – but is reliant heavily on volume. (RH)

TA 5.4 g/l, 3.40 pH. 18 months in new French oak. Chewy. Smoky oak. Very creamy and fruity. Lots of concentration, some bitter cherry fruit – in fact, this could easily be placed in Tuscany. Strong and intense – perhaps at the sacrifice of fragrance and lightness of touch. (RH)

Closed nose but juicy and layered on the palate. Doesn't seem to be mushrooming much. Just getting older. (RH)

Lovely stewed fruit notes, still very firm and youthful on the palate. Very little oak character – perhaps won't appeal to Rioja traditionalists. Certainly built for the long haul. (RH)

Best Rioja, Spanish Wine Awards 2013.
Dry and soft. Good oaky vanilla fragrance, but pretty restrained overall. Pepper spice. Good, solid Rioja. (RH)

Sweet, aromatic, chocolatey nose. Very smooth tannins. Sculpted – quite modern, actually, for this marque. Not the most wowing of examples, but does a great job of typicality. (RH)

Garnacha, Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon. Sophisticated, minty, menthol nose – evokes Australia, aromatically speaking. But the structure is very Spanish – heavy fruit, furry tannin, modest acid, loads of alcohol. Impressive complexity, not so sure about actual drinkability. (RH)

Best Red Over £10, Spanish Wine Awards 2013.
Garnacha, Cariñena, Syrah. Leather, liquorice nose and then a lovely syrupy fruit on the palate. Has a sweetness that is almost commercial, but the savoury finish and tannic texture make it more serious. (RH)

Manto Negro, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon. Cassis, cedar, black cherry. Very much the model of the Médoc – but with more generosity of fruit. Enjoyably gruff tannins. Bold and stylish. (RH)

Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Tempranillo. Very primary, very juicy. Perhaps a bit rudimentary at this price bracket. Seems a little underripe too – herbal. (RH)

Expressive, delicious vanilla oak – so distinctively Spanish. Lovely meaty, savoury, bacon fat character too. And dark chocolate. In fact this keeps getting better. Lovely, expressive, lengthy, complex – and typical. Very good. (RH)

Best Premium Red £20+ and Best Red Of Show, Spanish Wine Awards 2013.
Black fruit … some spice … doesn't seem to be shining, I'm afraid. There is definitely potential in there, because the finish is persistent and dense but the impression is underwhelming right now. (RH)

Boldly oaked – very Spanish, which is very appealing – but the fruit isn't hugely interesting, and the structure is both hot and drying. (RH)

Bright, expressive fruit with serious firm tannin. Oak seems a bit tacked on and the tannins actually stick slightly. Clunky. (RH)

Sweet, aromatic spicy nose. Dry black fruit. Pretty heavyweight – I think I prefer my Mencia a bit more gentle. (RH)

Restrained nose with a lovely marzipan and black cherry fruit on the palate. Minty, menthol – really packs the flavour in. The fact that the nose is a bit closed only bodes well for its future, based on the palate complexity. Lovely. (RH)

The nose is either reductive or bretty, which is offputting. Bright, jolly fruit on the palate, with a slightly musty edge. This is not unpleasant, but seems a bit unstable too. Perhaps bottle variation, because I've liked this vintage much more previously. (RH)

Best Value Red, Spanish Wine Awards 2013.
Baked black fruit, lots of extraction here – but without crudeness or sourness – although there is a tiny bit of bitterness. The finish is mouthwatering with a pinch of tannin and the alcohol is slightly hot. (RH)

Pretty inconsequential nose, but a lovely rich, satisfying palate with loads of bright red fruit and a soft, spicy, fruit-juice quality. Very appealing, because it has a candied-fruit character while maintaining a serious, savoury finish. (RH)

100% Carignan from vineyards around the village of El Masroig in Montsant in the NE of Spain. Vines are a minimum of 40 years old, planted at an altitude of 150 – 350m and grown on mostly unfertile red clay with some slate, sand and chalk. Grapes harvested by hand in Oct 2011 with a yield of 5 t/ha into small baskets. Destemmed and fermented for 15 days in vats. A natural malolactic took place in tank, where the wine then rested for 8 months. Winemaker Carles Escolar. TA 5.2g/l, pH 3.5. 
Really attention-grabbing fruit. A little bit volatile, but the fruit ripeness counters it well. Chock full of brambles. Very little non-fruit complexity though. (RH)

100% Tempranillo grown on clay-based soil with a proliferation of limestone and sandstone. Ibéricos is the first wine to be produced by Torres from the Rioja DO. The grapes are given 18 days skin contact and one week alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature of 28 – 30°C. Matured for 12 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels, then six months in bottle. Winemaker Mireia Torres. TA 5.6g/l, pH 3.51. IWC 2013 Bronze Medal. 
Medium intensity. Creamy texture. Very well behaved, conventional and mainstream. As you’d expect from Torres, impeccably crafted and smooth – but maybe lacking a bit of Spanish flair, therefore? (RH) 

Dark crimson. Thick and dramatic and much more like the Ribera stereotype than the Psi. Marked acidity and colour. But confidently comfortable even if not yet ready. Thick. (JR)

Dark crimson and lively, fresh, sweet fruit that is well judged. You would hardly guess this was Ribera since the acidity and colour are not pronounced. Gentle fruit – very seductive. Just a bit of oak tannin on the end. (JR)

Bright crimson, and very uncomfortable oak. (JR)

Alavesa bodega with 10 ha of vines founded in 1987 by a Jerezano family. Fine modern red rioja character. Very smooth and correct with sweetness and strength. Fresh strawberry fruit. 95% Tempranillo plus Graciano and Carignan/Mazuelo. Real integrity. VGV (JR)

All 'Sirah'. A bit reduced. Cool and fresh, and not overdone. Juicy. Quite refined, long and rich. GV (JR)

Old Garnacha. Soft and concentrated, but then a bit tough on the end. (JR)

Bobal. Round and treacly. A bit hot and chewy. (JR)

Bobal. Bright crimson. Quite raw. Har work! But it may soften... (JR)

Ester Nin is also the winemaker for Daphne Glorian at Clos Erasmus. Lively, firm and exciting. Llicorella influence is clear. (JR)

The last vintage of José Benavides Jimenez-Landi and Danny Gómez. A bit reduced. Sweet start and then round on the palate. (JR)

Round and sweet. A tiny bit metallic. (JR)

Handsome magnums! Looks a little cloudy. Mid ruby. Absolutely classic mature rioja nose with a mixture of stewed strawberries and animal mulch (not quite manure!!). Manages to be both sweet and refreshing – no excess of alcohol. Oak in retreat. A very clever purchase for holiday entertaining – though some guests may be put off by the individuality of this wine. Very gentle finish. (JR)

As with their Usoa Joven, this isn't especially Riojan in character. It's dry and correctly balanced but missing the creamy smoothness you might expect from the style. (RH)

Simple and plain and not especially Riojan. Decent generic dry European red – will please many, but thrill few – which is fine at under £10! (RH)

Sappy and lively and well-intentioned Rioja. Real character. (JR)

The intention is an Oz-style Shiraz. 40-year-old vines. Lovely label. Very clean. Not particularly Australian, but very juicy. (JR)

This region is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean's climate, and the vineyards grow on soils that are rich in iron, limestone, clay, and other nutrients deposited in the region by the tributaries of the Ebro River. The grapes for this wine were sourced from vineyards located in Villalba and Haro. During harvest a first selection of grapes was made in the vineyard, and a second at the winery. Following the selection process a five week controlled temperature fermentation took place in oak vats, with carefully monitored pumping over and submersion of the cap. The wine was then transferred to French oak barrels, where malolactic fermentation took place. The wine was left to age in barrel for 18 months before bottling.
Dark blackish crimson. Tight and bound up but with blackberry fruit and definite sweetness. Should be exciting eventually. (JR)

Ricardo and Alvaro Palacios started this joint venture in 1999, and their vineyards are located in the municipality of Corullón in the mountains to the west of Bierzo. The vines here date back 50, 75 and even 90 years in some plots, and are worked on biodynamic principles. The grapes were hand-harvested between the 14th September and 19th October 2007 and partially destemmed prior to fermentation in small open wooden vats. Maceration lasted 52 days, and malolactic fermentation occurred spontaneously in oak vats. The wine was aged for 16 months in new French oak barrels, and there was no fining, cold stabilisation, or filtration prior to bottling.
Wow! Great to have this on a high street near you!!! Dark blackish purple. But fewer than 23,000 bottles were filled… Sumptuous nose – overripe mulberries? Then lovely freshness and minerals on the palate. This is the sort of wine I could drink all night!!! It's alive. Not at all heavy. So flattering. The vineyard is all. Long………. Bravissimo! (JR)

85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 2.5% Mazuelo and 2.5% Garnacha. The vines here are planted on soils with a high limestone content substrata and clay and sand dominated topsoil. Some are over 60 years old. Following harvest the grapes were destemmed, and fermentation then took place in stainless steel tanks at 28-30°C with a maceration period of 10 to 15 days. The wine was aged for two years in French and American oak barrels, and spent a further year in bottle prior to release.
Mid crimson. Absolutely true rioja fruit and oak on the nose. Still pretty youthful with the oak still prominent but the fruit is just as it should be. Needs time but very promising. (JR)

Tempranillo in barrique. Finishes dry. GV (JR)

Special project of Laithwaite's buyer Beth with their Rioja supplier Gomez Cruzado in a DO near Burgos. Field blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mencia and a bit of Bobal. Single vineyard at 1,000 m.
Almost black. Worth the premium for the excitement and integration on the nose. Sumptuous texture. The sweetest liquorice you could imagine with humming vitality. You could gobble this up immediately but I suspect it will take on subtlety. A great find! (JR)

Special project of Laithwaite's buyer Beth with their Rioja supplier Gomez Cruzado in a DO near Burgos. Field blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mencia and a bit of Bobal.
Heady and sweet – almost cocoa-like. Lots of spine, spice and interest. A beginning, middle and end. Meaty. Just a very slight hole in the middle but delightfully distinctive. (JR)

Magnum. Fully evolved – more so than the Martinez Bujanda 2001 in fact – with just a suggestion of hamster cages. Lots of earthy fruit. Not much tannin. Looks very handsome – a nice present? (JR)

Firm and sweet and round. Not that obviously Rioja but a well balanced, super-ripe red wine that should give a great deal of pleasure. Long. (JR)

Mid blackish ruby. Fully evolved nose and still some strawberry character on the palate. Lots of chew but good life and integrity to it too. Smells of warm straw. Strictly for rioja enthusiasts though. (JR)

Quite an inky expression of Mencia. Round, sweet, mulberry fruit with less freshness and definition than many Bierzos. It is recognisably Bieroz though, but manages to be both inky and bloody! Fades away quite suddenly. A bit old? (JR)

Nicely married nose with something floral about the aromatics. Lots of fruit. Dry finish. This has some integrity even if it's a bit drying on the end. (JR)

San Gregorio. Sweet, honest, toasty mouthful of sweet fruit that may have had a little oak chipping and would benefit from being served quite cool. (JR)

Unlike the Bobal 2012, this has freshness on the nose. Served cooler and much better for it. A bit ungracious and stolid in structure. Harsh finish. (JR)

Sweet, purple, velvety impression that doesn't have quite enough acidity and tastes a little dead. One of those wines you would expect to find for less than £6 at a supermarket. Furry oak chip impression on the end. Not appetising. (JR)

95% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano. 24 months in oak, 24 months in bottle prior to release.
Dark ruby. Complete and fresh and definitely rioja without being dominated by oak. Really very nice wine. Savoury finish. Very appetising with tobacco-leaf aromas. Real drive to this wine. (JR)

100% Graciano. After the grapes are picked and crushed, the skins are mixed with the unfermented juice for five days at 45 ºF. Following fermentation, the Graciano skins remain in the tank 10 days to enhance the mouthfeel and extraction of beneficial tannins. After fermentation, it is aged for six months in French oak barrels that are three years old.
From Laguardia. The barrels may be three years old but there still seems to be quite a bit of oak on the nose of this. I really want to like it, being a Graciano fan, but it seems just a bit too oak-dominated. (JR)

100% Tempranillo. 10- to 20-year-old vines, 100% organic. Matured for seven months in French oak barrels.
Concentrated crimson. Rather aggressive tannins but some fine high-altitude fruit. Not expensive for a Ribera. (JR)

Monastrell (Mourvèdre), Syrah, Cabernet. Aged for six months in French oak barrels.
Bit of a culture shock to put this Monastrell into French oak? But this is a well-made, well-priced wine that is sweet but not too sweet and has an appetising freshness to it. I assume the vineyards had a bit of altitude. Well integrated. Interesting! GV (JR)

Tempranillo, old vines – some even over a hundred years. 12 months in barrels.
Deep crimson. Bright ripe bramble-berry nose with a soft warm spice overlay. Very savoury and roasted – almost, oddly, like crispy chicken skin – with an intriguing citrus, mandarin-like tang. After a string of super-concentrated Argentinian and Chilean reds, this wine comes as a relief and by contrast, tastes almost delicate! It's not. Certainly not at 15%. But the alcohol doesn't feel hot and heavy and pendulous, and the fruit is not compacted and sickly sweet, like the others I tasted. There's certainly a tinge of dark-roasted coffee, and dark ripe quince flavours, and it's powerful and packed, but it's held in check by fresh acidity. (TC)

Light and sweet. Round and easy with more oak in evidence than local character. (JR)

Some pretty oily obvious oak. On the nose and finish. Pretty uncomfortable. (JR)

55% Garnacha, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cariñena and 10% Syrah. Dating back to the 12th Century, Scala Dei is the oldest winery in Priorat with the highest vineyards in the region at over 700m. Situated on steep ancient terraces, 35 year-old vines are planted on licorella slate and clay soils and harvested by hand. The 2009 vintage was picked during the last week of Sept and first 2 weeks of Oct. Grapes were destemmed and pressed before undergoing fermentation at 25 °C. The new wine was aged for 12 months in new 80% French and 20% American oak barrels, followed by a further 12 months in bottle before release. Winemaker Ricard Rofes. Suitable for vegetarians and vegans. TA 5.7 g/l, pH 3.45, RS 0.32 g/l.
Very intense and local – almost black – and no concessions to winemaking fashions. Oak not that obvious. Thick and furry and with strong llicorella influence. Chewy finish. (JR)

From the same Tomàs Cusiné cellar as Cara Nord. 80% Carinyena and 20% Garnatxa fermented in stainless steel, then spends three months in French oak.
Very soft version of Montsant. I fear they didn't get the pick of the vineyards! (JR)

A blend of Garnatxa, Syrah and Garrut (Catalonian GSM) grown at 800 m and aged for six months in new and used French oak. Made by Tomàs Cusiné of Auzells and El Vilosell fame.
Dark crimson. Sweet and round. Easy and much fresher and less tannicly dry than the average Australian GSM. Lots of berry flavour. You could serve this at a wide range of temperatures and still enjoy it, I think. (JR)

Garnacha grown organically in Catalunya's Terra Altá vineyards. From epicure-wines.com (Seattle?). Light ruby. Low key and just a tad dull compared with other Garnachas available but should please those looking for a sedative. (This is a crueller note than the wine deserves.) (JR)

Easy sweet blend in which fruit plays the dominant part. Fun label that looks as though the wine is more expensive. Mid weight. (JR)

Mencía from Pedro and Rodriguez Perez. Bright crimson. A little more robust and rudely fruity than many Mencias but it would serve as an introduction. (JR)

From Montecastro, young vines. Rather low key and tough. Good acid but I can't really see why you would focus on this. (JR)

50/50 Cariñena/Garnacha. Dense and dry. Intensely llicorella. Kerpow. Nicely demonstrates the special qualities of Priorat. (JR)

100% bushvines Monastrell grown in the hills. Bright crimson. Very fresh fruited. Proper wine with a dry finish. Somehow manages to taste cool! GV (JR)

Sweet start. Juicy, dried-fruit flavours and a dry finish – a bit pinched actually. (JR)

Winemaker Ludovic Vano. Old vines: 80% Garnacha, 20% Syrah planted at 800-1,000m. Aged six to eight months in French oak for the Syrah and concrete for the Grenache. No fining or filtration.
Deep bright cherry red. Perfumed, lifted red cherry aroma with a slight note of vanilla and spice. Very ripe fruit but not raisined at all. Lively red fruit, smoothed tannins and a nice kick of acidity on the finish. A fragrant and ripe mouthful with all the generosity of ripe Garnacha. (JH)

Bright crimson. Very lively on the nose with both ripeness and lift. Super savoury and makes a forceful impact without resorting to alcohol or oak. Well judged fruit. Very fresh with lots of mountain air about it. Zesty. Great balance.  Unlike any other Spanish wine I can think of.  (JR)

75% Tempranillo, 25% Merlot. Made with help from Denis Dubourdieu. Solid, concentrated aroma with some lip-smackingly ripe but savoury fruit but not much development on the nose yet. And some marked, even slightly rasping tannins on the finish. Not nearly ready. Medium weight and the oak is well judged. Carefully made but without ingredient X yet.  (JR)

70% old vine Garnacha, 15% Syrah. 10% Tempranillo, 5% Mazuelo (Carignan). Smart burgundy bottle with a cork finish (unusual for this producer).  Quite a raw nose. Then very sweet and satisfying, A fine, well-judged blend even if it is all a little youthful for the moment. There is real life here. Great balance and vitality. (JR)

Mid crimson. Relatively simple, tentative nose with a bit of grunt on the end. Sweet start and well intentioned though a little coarse and chewy on the end. Overall GV though. (JR)

Old vine Garnacha. Dark crimson. Very fresh nose. Bursting with life. Beautifully balanced and with no extraneous oak just the whole fruit and nothing but the fruit. So clean and mellifluous! This is one of those wines you taste that seem to tick all the boxes and you hope no one else has noticed and that it might be dirt cheap. Alas no, in this case, but it is very good. Wonderfully vibrant and comfortable. Lovely and ripe but with structure and no excess sweetness nor alcohol. I would much, much rather drink this energising wine than the sweet cocoa of Alto Moncayo of Campo de Borja. (JR)

Unfiltered  wine from Norrel Robertson MW and, most unusually from him, cork finished. Dark crimson. Truly heroic fruit but a little occluded by the sweet oak. Savoury finish and one of the more concentrated and ambitious reds of Calatayud. Great label but a tad brutal. It costs about £20  a bottle in the UK and I suspect I'd be charmed more by a less obviously oaked rendition of the great old Garnacha vines of the region.  (JR)

90% Tempranillo, 3% Granciano, 4% Garnacha, 3% Mazuelo. RS < 2 g/l, pH 3.63, TA 3.3 g/l. Alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel, matured in a mix of French and American oak casks for two years.
Dark and slightly muddy crimson with a tinge of garnet development on the rim. A little dull and occluded on the nose. Hint of old wood glue. A sweet intensity that I didn't taste in the CVNE Imperial Reserva 2007 tasted alongside. Very much a darker richer deck of flavours, leather and spice and bramble berries. Plump tannins and ever so slightly drying on the finish. What it lacks in the very fine-boned elegance of the Imperial Reserva, it makes up for with soft flattering charm. (TC)

Very classic Rioja nose, sweet coconut oak forward. Elegant and restrained palate – sappy damson fruit, lightly encased in savoury oak. So fresh! Wonderful hints of undergrowth and woody spice. Long and quite caressing. (TC)

A François Lurton wine. Deep purple-tinted crimson. Blackberry and brambly nose. Blackberry juice, soft, sweet, with a tinge of charred spice – voluptuous and dangerously easy to drink considering its 15% alcohol. There is, however, a discernible heat on the palate. Velvety tannins. Earthy with a touch of chewy bitterness on the finish. (TC)

Very firm and a strong spine. Very appetising. Clean as a whistle. But no llicorella and not that intense. (JR)

Best red under £10, Spanish Wine Awards 2013.
Heady but not volatile. Suitably expansive fruit, pretty shortish finish. Good purity and typicality. (RH)

100% Tempranillo. 12 months in new French oak. Sweet, ripe cherry fruit, both red and black. Spicy flavour and lithe tannins. Rich with good freshness but I think it would benefit from less new oak. With time, more coffee and chocolate. (JH)

A touch of dried tobacco leaf and mulled sloe berries and meatiness. Gorgeously sweet fruit on the palate. Quince and an earthiness and a very fine seam of vanilla with a wonderful just-tooled-saddle (not sweaty!) spice note on the finish. Gentle, the texture of chamois leather on the tongue. There is a remarkable freshness and the mid palate bursts into sweet sweet cherry, just as you think it's starting to segue into dry spices. Thrilling, almost haunting, with generous persistence. So balanced. Do not spit this wine. (TC)

Unusual, old-fashioned flask-shaped bottle. Very old vines, mainly Viosinho and Gouveio. 10 months in French and Hungarian oak, 15% new.
Stony citrus aroma, and with a marked dusty texture on the palate. Refreshing and dry but a bit dilute on the palate – not at all the concentration I expected from old vines, though it is quite persistent and very fresh on the finish. (JH)

41% Rabigato, 29% Gouveio, 25% Viosinho and 5% Côdega de Larinho at 700 m. Bought-in fruit. No oak. RS 3.2 g/l.
Complex nose – tangy with quince and yellow plum and pear. Pear and peach on the palate too. Cool, fresh and with a nice light grip at the end. (JH)

Lightly spritzy and good freshness even if pretty light. (JR)

Innocuous and a little bland. Medium everything. (JR)

Cream, peach, soft and smooth. Lovely balance, density and roundness but not much of interest beyond the stone fruit. (RH)

Great personality. A Vinho Verde with breadth! Broad and racy! Sleek and lots of satisfying flavour without much alcohol. (JR)

Mainly from high, granitic vineyards. Quite floral and then masses of acid and structure. Serious stuff. Yet more proof of how good white Douro wines are. Hint of lemon cough sweets. (JR)

Fine and sleek and fruity/fragrant. Good lime finish.  (JR)

Mainly Bical. Stinky/reductive = good! Broad and fragrant. Already open. (JR)

Organic, from Lima. Tense and lively. Green and refreshing. (JR)

Siria, Fonte Cal. A new producer. Fragrant, easy, simple. (JR)

Malvasia Fina, Encruzado. A bit edgy. Chewy. Too chewy. (JR)

Easy and low acid. (JR)

The vines here grow on soft slopes of granitic soils and are pruned in the unilateral cordon system. They have an average age of 10 years. The grapes for this wine were hand selected and harvested. After a low temperature pre-fermentation maceration the grapes were pressed and the juice was clarified. A two to three week fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at 16ºC.
Tense and medium bodied with some blackcurrant leaf fruit. Quite chewy. Solid enough and nicely packaged in a burgundy bottle. (JR)

Lively, off dry and slightly floral. (JR)

Loureiro, no oak. Lightly fizzy. Lightly, smokily pungent. Just off dry and very fine with a suggestion of green leaves. Super clean and refreshing though arguably more of a summer wine than a winter one. Still a little chewy on the end. (JR)

Tense and green. Lively. A full-bodied vintage. Exciting and different. VGV! (JR)

Rabigato, Códega, Donzelinho, Viosinho. Smoky and quite restrained in aroma. Mealy. Broad and peachy. Good chew. Still pretty young. Needs more time. (JR)

Old vines plus Touriga Nacional. Aged in new French oak.
Ripe dark fruit and oak spice aromas. Baking spices like nutmeg, plus a hint of very dark bitter chocolate aroma. Powerful, firm grip but where the structure still allows for freshness and fruit expression. Lovely dry tannins and mouthwatering finish. (JH)

90% Touriga Nacional, 10% old vines field blend. All estate fruit. 18 months in French oak, half new.
More floral on the nose than the VT thanks to the higher proportion of Touriga Nacional but with a lightly dusty overlay adding attractive restraint. There's sweetness from the oak but well integrated with the depth of fruit. Tannins themselves seem spicy but also have a fluid freshness. (JH)

50% Touriga Nacional, 50% field blend of old vines. Foot trodden, aged 18 months in French oak, 50% new. Estate fruit.
Plenty of oak in evidence but there's lively fruit – blueberry and bramble sweetness – and freshness. Impressive after several years in bottle. Attractively dry finish and good length. (JH)

33% old vines, 31% field blend, 14% Tinta Amarela, 11% Touriga Francesa, 6% Touriga Nacional and 5% Tinta Roriz. Part oak aged.
Chocolatey and smooth. Plenty of ripe bramble fruit and chocolate-smooth texture. Fresh and long. Chewy, compact and dry but with a juicy finish. Could do with a little more time in bottle. (JH)

Unusual, old-fashioned flask-shaped bottle. Tinta Amarela, Tinto Cão and Touriga Franca, and old-vine field blend.
Deep black cherry colour. Pronounced ripe cherry and dark plum fruit with a lift of red cherry fragrance and a note of chocolate. Big and powerful but has finesse in the firm but fine tannic structure. In the mouth it is much more mineral, attractively dry and less ripe than I expected from the nose. Oak in evidence in that chocolate effect, particularly on the palate, but more spice and density than oak sweetness. Much too young to drink now but it already shows harmony, and freshness at the very end. (JH)

Not given away! 40% Touriga Franca, 40% Touriga Nacional, 20% Sousão from both Douro Superior and Cima Corgo. There is no mention of oak in the technical notes. Dark, big and beefy on the nose with lots of acidity and tarry notes on the end. It does taste rather as though the odd oak chip had been used but perhaps I am wrong. It certainly delivers concentration if not finesse. It might well be much more charming after a few years. (JR)

30% Touriga Nacional, 20% Touriga Franca, 20% Tinta Roriz and the rest old vine mixed field-planted from the Quinta de la Rosa in Cima Corga. Vines are planted on schistous soils and are 25 years old and cordon trained. Grapes were hand-harvested, fermented in stainless steel then aged in French oak. Blended by buyer Nick Room, together with winemaker Jorge Moreira. Bottled Sept 2013. Suitable for vegetarians. TA 5.2g/l, pH 3.6, RS 2.4g/l.
Quite different from the regular Quinta de la Rosa blend. A bit stinky on the nose, but lovely texture and black fruit behind. Tender, soft, plump. Has a lovely sort of elasticity in the mouth. The nose is quickly forgiven its peculiarity. (RH)

Smoky and flinty. Gorgeous fruit, really crafty oak gives just a hint of palate complexity. Loads of layers here, but nothing heavy. Excellent flavour-to-alcohol- ratio! Fab acid too. Very good indeed. (RH)

Heady and correct. Salty with dark fruit. Great stuff! (JR)

Grown in Pocinho.  Aged in French oak. Very dark purple indeed. But pretty hollow and tart. No great pleasure now. (JR)

This late ripening variety is grown, against expectations, at 600m at Meda but this ripe vintage counteracts that. Pale ruby. Really fresh, fragrant, rose-scented and interesting with relatively low acid and tannin.  Not concentrated but already very charming. (JR)

Grown at low altitudes on schist and granite with old vines. Rich and racy with a sweet start and then mineral graininess on the finish. Attractive life. Just a little too sweet overall though with a hint of obvious oak.   (JR)

Mid to dark ruby. Rather strange minty note. Tastes as though it were grown somewhere pretty high. Very different from most Douro wines. Refreshing as a mountain stream but don't expect concentration. Still a bit chewy on the end. (JR)

Solid, dry, uncompromising and racy. (JR)

Quite heavy oak. Thick. (JR)

Touriga Nacional, Tinto Roriz and Alfrocheiro, unoaked. Carlos Lucas. Dark crimson. Lovely round blend – light years away from the Dão of old. Stunning value. Plums and a bit of acid and tannins. VGV (JR)

Heavy bottle. 50% Touriga Nacional, 10% Merlot and 40% Aragonez. Slight TCA? (JH)

Touriga Nacional, Merlot and Aragonez. Fragrant red fruit, just a touch cedary and peppery and a hint of Touriga's floral character. Juicy, chewy fresh and full of fruit but with no excess sweetness. Really complete and satisfying. Fresh acidity to the end. (JH)

Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca and a little Touriga Nacional. Round and racy. Proper wine with intensity and a dry end. (JR)

Racy and lively. Lots of fruit and edginess – beautiful fruit. Really racy! VGV (JR)

Aragonez. A bit sweet and simple. Not very refreshing. Dull. (JR)

Douro field blend of c 20 varieties. 10% aged in oak. Dark, a little peppery, savoury and very smooth. Just a hint of oak spice on the finish. Warm, accessible, could do with a touch more freshness but this is fairly typical of the vintage. (JH)

60% Jaen. Soft and gentle with a round body and fresh. Smoky damsons. (JR)

Entry-level wine for the on trade. Blend of 53% Touriga Nacional (32% Vinhas Velhas), 8% Tinta Amarela and 7% Touriga Franca, part oak aged. 
Plenty of sweet oak spice on the nose, generous and spicy on the palate. Full in the mouth but still fresh. More aromatic dark fruit as it opens up. Spicy finish. Satisfying. (JH)

Very dark. Dense and sweet. A little heavy handed. I think I'd rather have one of Portugal's bargains! Bit heavily oaked. (JR)