Top 100 Spanish wines of 2018
This year no Spanish wines earned a perfect 100-point score from JamesSuckling.com, but that this doesn’t mean that no Spanish wines blew our minds. We rated five of the 2,800-plus Spanish wines 99 points and 12 wines earned 98 points. Although, given Spain’s historic strength in powerful yet refined reds and wines of this kind dominate our Top 100 for Spain, it’s interesting that the no. 10 wine this year is a sherry: the unique Tio Pepe Cuatro Palmas Amontillado NV from Gonzalez Byass, with 98 points. It is an astonishing by-product of the production of Tio Pepe, the most famous brand of fino sherry.
James standing this summer in cellars of Bodegas Roda in Rioja.
In first place in our Top 100 for Spain is the super-sexy and polished red Rioja Aro 2015 from Muga that rated 99. It’s a near-perfect example of what make the new Spanish red wines from the native tempranillo grape so special. We suggest you cellar it until at least 2023 to get the best out of this world-class red. You can say much the same of our no. two wine, the Rioja Roda I Reserva 2011 from Bodegas Roda, which also comes from Rioja and rated 98. It already drinks beautifully and has an incredible combination of dark berry fruit and transparency.
There are also some very graceful reds in our Top 100 for Spain, as the Valdeorras O Diviso 2015 from Compañia de Vinos Telmo Rodriguez in the province of Galicia, shows. The floral delicacy of this filigree red from some of the most spectacular steep vineyards in the world is remarkable. Telmo Rodriguez was also responsible for the highest placed white wine, the Rioja Blanco 2015 from Granja de Nuestra Señora de Remelluri. It has stunning richness and complexity, yet remains beautifully balanced. The first of these wines rated 98 and placed fifth in our Top 100 from Spain; the latter rated 97 and took 17th place.
“Spain is determined to amaze the world with its new wines!”
Another striking feature of this Top 100 is the number of red wines from the indigenous garnacha grape, better known by its French name grenache. It was long regarded by the majority of Spanish red wine producers as a blending component to soften and/or lighten tannic tempranillo reds or as the base for soft easy-drinking reds. That’s what happens when it is cultivated in warm places with fertile soils like the Rioja Baja sub-region. However, when it is grown in cooler higher altitude locations with stony or sandy soils, it brings wines that are aromatic, fresh and elegant. Wines like the Garnacha Vinos de Madrid Peña Caballera 2015 from Bodega Marañones close to Madrid remind us of pinot noir, but with more floral aromas and a crisper finish. It rated 95 and placed 29th in our Top 100 of Spain.
Comando G sets the tone for new Spanish wines just outside of Madrid.
There’s also a stunning silky rosé made from garnacha in our Top 100 for Spain, the Rosado Flor de Muga 2017 from Muga, that rated 94 and made 19th place due to the incredible value for money this wine offers. Even more astonishing for us is the Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 2008 from Lopez de Heredia in 32nd place, due to its rather high price and the difficulty to track down; it’s a sought-after limited-production wine. The unique style of rosé marries mature and fresh elements so miraculously that we rated it 97.
Another remarkable achievement is the debut of wines from Terroir Sense Fronteres in Montsant, 2017 being the first vintage for the new project of Dominik Huber, founder of Terroir al Limit in neighboring Priorat. Of these, the enormously concentrated and seriously tannic Monsant Guix Vermell 2017 rated highest with 97 points and placed 28th in our Top 100 for Spain, followed by the Montsant Vèrtebra de la Figuera 2017 rating 95 and placing 41st. These are revolutionary red wines for Spain with enormous mountain freshness. They prove Spain is determined to amaze the world with its new wines! — Stuart Pigott, Senior Editor