2015 Spain

This is Rioja – but not as you know it. Made from over 90 percent Garnacha and from the Rioja Oriental at the easternmost point of this region, it is pure, elegant and utterly drinkable. The unique freshness in this wine comes from the fascinating La Montesa vineyard which is planted at 550 metres’ altitude in the foothills of Mt Yerga. In addition to this, the purity and richness of sweet red and black berry fruit is testament to the huge amount of focus and attention that the famed Álvaro Palacios and his team put into each of the vines throughout the growing season. This is a Rioja that will not cloud your sense on the first sip, but instead will leave them invigorated and intrigued.
Catriona Felstead MW, Wine Buyer

This Crianza spends 13 months gently maturing in barrel, then a further year in bottle prior to release. It displays ripe fruit notes while remaining remarkably fresh thanks to the region’s significant diurnal shift. Deep ruby in colour, the wine offers aromas of black cherry, blackcurrant, forest fruits and fresher raspberry notes alongside subtle hints of cedar and nutmeg. On the palate, it is fleshy but structured, with a finesse and silkiness that lingers on the finish. Ready to drink now.
Lucy Bland, Assistant Buyer

The 2015 Finca Dofi also has a wonderful fragrance but is a very different expression to the Gratallops. Macerated red fruit dominates here bringing a richness and a luscious quality to the wine. The mouthfeel is concentrated and sensual yet the wine is still incredibly fresh with classic Priorat notes of nectarine, pomegranate and grapefruit peel adding a lively vibrancy. The brown slate of Finca Dofi makes it the warmest site of the single vineyard wines, and it really is rather gorgeous.
Catriona Felstead MW, Spanish Buyer

Alvaro Palacios is one of the world’s great winemakers, crowned both 2015 Decanter Man of the Year & Winemaker’s Winemaker by the Institute of Masters of Wine most recently. Alvaro spent 2 years at Petrus before setting up on his own in Priorat in 1989, his wines are now consistently excellent and in the past few years have found a further level of refinement and elegance, they have found yet another gear.

The flagship wine of Artadi, a very special vineyard and one of the greatest wines of Spain.  Artadi describe Viña el Pisón as ‘inimitable’ and they have a point - It is hard to find a comparison in Spain. The vineyard produces a complex yet ethereal wine which is both expressive of fruit and minerality. A wine which can confidently stand alongside the best from any country/region in the world.

The 2015 has a fascinating, lifted perfume of black cherries. There is an intense sweetness here but make no mistake, this is a powerful wine, supported by layers and layers of supple yet fine, almost talcum powder-esque, tannins. The core of the wine is beautifully fresh, mineral and long whilst a ripe cranberry note adds a refreshing twist to the finish. This a serious wine and is incredibly impressive; Viña el Pisón merits a bottle being opened every few years just to discover new, subtle nuances of character and to provoke contemplation. Drink 2020-2040.
Catriona Felstead MW, Spain Buyer

One of Cillar de Silos’s best yet, the 2015 Viña de Amalio offers a perfume of black raspberry leaf and a core of red plums and damson fruit. Gentle aeration brings further complexities with notes of sweet earth and spices. Perfectly aligned silky tannins caress the palate, laden with flavours of wild raspberry and blackberries, complemented by attractive clove and chocolate notes. Powerful yet restrained, there’s depth and volume across the palate, and proof that all the components are working in harmony as you are left with a moreish finish of well-defined fruit and an elegant freshness. A wine of great stature which will only get better, I’d recommend leaving this for a few years and enjoy from 2021 to 2032.
Chris Lamb, Private Account Manager

Suave, supple and beautifully poised, this is very fresh but very fine with enticing, open, generous fruit. The limestone soil shines through in this very pure, linear expression of Rioja. This is a focused wine but one which is already very appealing with mouthcoating notes of raspberries and strawberries, all offset by a long, refreshing finish. Drink 2019-2025.
Catriona Felstead MW, Spain Buyer, October 2017

Fresh, very pure fruit dominates this wine, with an attack of almost strawberry coulis notes, broadening out into darker cherries and bramble fruit. The richer, red soils here give a gorgeous succulence to the wine, with a top note of sweet cranberries yet a fine backbone and poise. This is a really beautiful wine. Drink 2020-2028.
Catriona Felstead MW, Spain Buyer, October 2017

The Guía Peñín, Spain most revered wine guide, recently awarded this wine 98 points – and it is easy to see why. Sturdy and strong with noticeable tannins at present, it is old-vine mountain Garnacha at its best. More straightbacked than its predecessor and with darker fruit, this is a serious and concentrated expression of the variety, yet with an elegance and freshness that is impressive. Touches of white pepper, spice and fine minerality keep the otherwise exuberant nature of the fruit in check. This is a Garnacha that deserves a little air in the decanter to bring out its more subtle, seductive character. Drink 2022 to 2028.