A top oak-aged Mencía from Bierzo vigneron Pablo Valle. Siete Cuartales Crianza 2019 (Bodegas Valle Blanco) D.O. Bierzo Variety: Mencía ABV: 14% €26.00 Drinking window: 2029-2030 Orders and enquiries: Pablo Valle Tel: +34 662 29 42 41 Siete Cuartales Crianza came into the world in 2014, when Modesto ‘Pipo’ Valle, in a bid to remain competitive in a volatile domestic wine market, decided to take the bull by the horns and make a barrique-aged Mencía that would bring together the best of Bierzo tradition and modernity. The vineyard was planted in 1945 in a kind of hollow on the slopes of Cerro d ..read more

A very fine Garnacha from Viña Zorzal in Navarra that has freshness, precision and finesse. Malayeto 2021 (Viña Zorzal Wines) D.O. Navarra Variety: 100% Garnacha ABV: 14% €16.50 from Bodeboca £14.95 from The Wine Society Most people with an eye on the Spanish wine scene know that the Zorzal guys are one of the best value wineries in Spain. The results they achieve with their entry level Garnacha are phenomenal, and quite possibly perfect… there I said it! The Malayeto though is a couple of steps up, so I was keen to give it a whirl! On the nose this has a lovely strawberry, redcurrant vibe wi ..read more

Alan Nance recommends a delicious introduction to the wines of Montsant. Vi del Mas 2022 (Celler Comunica) D.O. Montsant Varieties: 70% Garnacha Tinta, 30% Syrah ABV: 13.5% €8.70 from Decántalo Just as in my native Cornwall the prefix Tre at the beginning of a place name signifies 'farm' or 'homestead', so too does the Catalan word Mas. And so, in Catalonia, a Vi de Mas is a wine from the farm, a house wine if you like, an introduction to a place and its people. And what a fine introduction this is. Montsant has long been recognized as a region offering excellent wines at a fraction of the pr ..read more

Adrian McManus interviews winemaker Pablo Valle in El Bierzo. On our last visit to El Bierzo, at the beginning of October last year, the Spanish Wine Collective called in on Bodegas Valle Blanco in the hill-top hamlet of Otero de Villadecanes to have a chat with the new man at the helm, Pablo Valle. Pablo, aged just 26, took over from his father, renowned Bierzo viticultor Modesto 'Pipo’ Valle, in the wake of the pandemic, a time of upheaval in this most singular of Spanish wine regions. The tip-off about Valle Blanco came from Nacho León of Demencia fame, previously featured at the Spanish W ..read more

Phil Mugford heads to Valencia in search of the Frog Prince. Cullerot 2022 Celler del Roure D.O. Valencia Variety: 50% Macabeo (Viura), 50% Verdil, Malvasía, Pedro Ximénez and other local varieties ABV: 13% €10.90 from Bodeboca, €10.45 from Decántalo What´s in a Name? Roure means oak in the Valencian dialect or roble if, like me, you’re more accustomed to Castellano. Something of a misnomer right off the bat as this bodega, in the Valencian interior, is better known for its subterranean clay amphorae or tinaja. This is the ageing method that harks back to when the Phoenicians, around 500BC ..read more

The Pedro Ximénez variety is the protagonist in this vino de pasto from Montilla-Moriles. Fresquito Vino de Pasto 2021 (Pérez Barquero) D.O. Montilla-Moriles Variety: 100% Pedro Ximénez ABV: 14.5% €14.75 from Bodeboca The new wave of vino de pasto, the unfortified sherry wines from the Marco de Jerez, has justifiably attracted a lot of attention in Spain and beyond. What is less well known is that vino de pasto wines are also made in the Montilla-Moriles DO, the protected appellation of origin in the province of Córdoba. Pérez Barquero was the first bodega in the DO to recover this traditiona ..read more

Este vino contiene: 12 meses de trabajo 365 días de sueños 4000 horas de sol Vendimia de la luz de la luna 1 kilo de uvas de Doñana * The town of Pilas in the Aljarafe region west of Seville used to be an important centre of viticulture, with over 40 bodegas in the 1950s and 1960s.  In the decades since, old vines have been pulled up, the bodegas have closed and more profitable crops planted. A major part of the local economy is now based on the cultivation and processing of Gordal and Manzanilla table olives. Yet thanks to the vision and commitment of viñaderos like Juan Diego Moreno, P ..read more

The collective looking back in Toro To kick off 2024, each of the Collective will look back at their favourite wines of last year and share them with you. Next up is Catalonia’s very own Alan Nance! Celler Pardas - Pur Xarel·lo 2020 (DO Penedès) If you're only familiar with Xarel·lo as one of the trio of grapes in classic Catalan sparklers, then the Pardas Pur Xarel·lo is the perfect way to discover its potential as a single variety. The winemaker-grower team of Ramón Parera and Jordi Arnan have really worked their magic here, as both aromatically and on the palate, this is a wonderful evocat ..read more

The collective looking back in Toro To kick off 2024, each of the Collective will look back at their favourite wines of last year and share them with you. Next up is Andalucia’s very own Bill Bolloten! Bodegas Juan Piñero Marajua Manzanilla Pasada En Rama (DO Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda) I drank many notable, even extraordinary, Finos and Manzanillas this year at Seville’s sherry temple, Taberna Manolo Cateca. This unique bar started life as a small wine despacho in the 1920s. I usually leave it up to Manuel to choose something for me, and he hit it ou ..read more

The collective looking back in Toro To kick off 2024, each of the Collective is going to look back at their favourite wines of the year and share them with you. Next up is Galicia’s very own Adrian McManus! Bodegas y Viñedos Grégory Pérez - Mengoba Godello Viejo Sobre Lías 2021 Grégory’s wines should be on any serious Godello and Mencía lover’s procurement list and of all the Godellos I enjoyed last year, this Godello Viejo 2021 made a truly lasting impression. The aromas of apple, lime, peach and lychee developing in the glass, together with a mouthfeel that’s both creamy and crunchy, made ..read more