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

Deep ruby in colour, this wine is vibrant and energetic from the offset. Made from 100 percent old-vine Garnacha, this wine displays ripe, expressive aromas of red cherry, raspberry and strawberry, accompanied by hints of dried, wild herbs, violet, cedar and toast. On the palate there is remarkable freshness thanks to the vineyards’ high elevation. The smooth tannins and oaky flavours are exceptionally well integrated and create a moreish, velvety texture and lingering finish. This would be fantastic alongside paella or a lamb tagine. Drink now to 2023.
Lucy Bland, Buying Assistant

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.

Much darker than Villa de Corullón, with a meaty, almost animal nose, La Lamas is made from 85% Mencia, plus other indigenous grapes, from six small parcels of vines ranging from 60 to 120 years old at 700m altitude. Dark fruit and hedgerow notes come to the fore on the supple palate and the harmony between power and elegance is exceptional. This is a finely crafted wine.
Catriona Felstead MW, Spanish Buyer

Moncerbal is incredibly impressive in 2015.The higher altitude here of 800m, combined with the poor, quartz/schist soils has resulted in a wine with an exquisite perfume. It is almost Syrah-esque in its purity with a linear character and black cherry notes combining with wet stone on the incredibly refined palate. The superb concentration and weight here brings one back to the 89% Mencia - but it is very fine indeed.
Catriona Felstead MW, Spanish Buyer

Valdegines is the vineyard which provides striking aromatics and wonderful purity and definition.  A Plump texture and silky feel – not the most structured of the Artadi offerings, but shows the mineral elegance of the vineyard.

The 2015 Valdegines is an excellent demonstration of the angular, structured character that this vineyard brings. Sweet, blue and black berry fruits dominate the nose with an earthy, hedgerow note behind. The lovely generosity of fruit character is evident but this is also a tightly structured wine with solid foundations of fine but grainy tannins. The finish has a savoury note of smoked meats but the freshness comes through bringing harmony to the whole. This is the least expensive of the Artadi single vineyard wines but it certainly has the structure to go a long way. Drink 2020-2028+.
Catriona Felstead MW, Spain Buyer


Juan Carlos Lopez de Lacaille, owner and winemaker of Artadi, is recognised as one of the greatest names in the business in Spain.  The winery was once a co-operative of 13 growers who owned well-sited vineyards around the town of Laguardia in the Alavesa wine region of Rioja.  Juan Carlos saw the potential of these wonderful vineyards and purchased the Bodega, immediately amending the philosophy and style of winemaking.  The work being done here underlines the quality of the soils and demonstrates once again how Rioja is ripe (no pun intended) for a qualitative reappraisal at the top end.  These wines sit very comfortably at the vinous top table.

The signature notes of the 2015 Artadi single vineyard wines are the exceptionally sweet red and black fruit notes from the hot days in July alongside the wonderful freshness and balance provided by the slow end to the ripening period. This is a fantastic range of wines.

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

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 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

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.

Hacienda Monasterio’s new releases this year continue to impress. There is an elegance to the Cosecha (so called to reflect the fact that, with 18 months in oak, it is aged for far longer than a standard Crianza) with its fine, blackcurrant nose and lovely, scented aromas. The palate is svelte with super-fine, pinpoint tannins coated with layers of juicy, fresh black fruit. This is generous but with a minerality that holds it in check all the way through the long, complex finish. Matured for 18 months in 30 percent new and 70 percent used French oak, this is truly impressive. Drink 2020-2026.