TOP SPANISH WINES

Faustino VII - Rioja

This is another fine example from well-respected Bodegas Faustino in Oyon, Rioja, who have created a superb white from the Viura grape. It has an unusually pale colour with twinkles! which gives a clue to some of the taste to come. The first impressions of a lovely velvety texture are quickly followed by a surprisingly rich full-bodied experience. This really is a classy wine, to be enjoyed with all the usual suspects of fish, seafood, poultry or as an aperitif.

Casa Lapostolle - Cuveé Alexandre - Merlot

This wonderful Chilean Merlot is the perfect accompaniment to your Christmas dinner or special occasion. A mix of 85% Merlot and 15% Carmenere, Alexandra Lapostolle has produced a stunning wine with explosive flavours of cassis, black cherry and dark chocolate in finely integrated oak. Their Cuvee Alexandre wines are dedicated to her grand-father, one of the dynasty of Grand Marnier liqueur producers. The grapes are from high quality 60 year old vines grown in the ideal soil of the Colchagua Valley in Chile. If you enjoy bold reds like me, then you will love this wine. At £14.50 it is not cheap, so a drink for when you have an excuse to spoil yourself.

Gran Familia - Rioja

This is a classic white Rioja from the highly respected bodegas Castillo de Fuenmayor. Lots of fruit but light, refreshing and aromatic, it is ideal with fish, seafood or paella. High quality grapes are selected to create a wonderful fine white wine.

La Leyenda - Guentota Estate - Argentina

Established in 1884 the Bodegas Escorihuela is the oldest working winery in the Mendoza region. La Leyenda (the legend) Malbec-Syrah has now been made for over a century and has powerful flavours of wild red fruits and plums with a fine balance of spiciness and a smooth velvety finish. You can imagine Argentinians enjoying this wine with their marvellous asados (BBQ) and it also goes well with chorizo, lamb and other red meats. A really satisfying drink.

Marqués de Caranó Gran Reserva

The long hot sunny days in the Cariñena region produce a rich, full-bodied red with cherry and raspberry fruit flavours. This wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged in American oak barrels before a further 36 months in the bottle. After this length of maturation you expect and receive a complex, spicy and characterful wine. Ideal with all red meats.

Cono Sur Pinto Noir

From famous Chilean winemaker Adolfo Hurtado this Pinot Noir brings back memories of warm summer days of tasty red French wines. Conor Sur describe this wine as `voluptuous` full of rich aromas and flavours, and I don`t think you would argue with the description. The cherry, plum and strawberry fruit flavours are definitely strong within a subtle lingering taste. Try it with lamb steaks, perfect companions!

Worth the £5.99 at Tesco.

Jaume Serra Cava

Brut Nature

From the Finca el Padruell in the heart of the Cava producing region of Penedes, this lively sparkler is made from the Xarel-Lo, Macabeo and Parellada grapes. which give it a well-balanced finish. It is pale yellow with fresh fruit aromas, a well-structured palate, and a fresh silky feel in the mouth. Ideal to accompany any aperitif and delicious with seafoods and salads. Try with crisps and dips, and just enjoy the wine!

Available in the UK at the Co-op and elsewhere.

Terra Andina Rosé

This fruity cabernet sauvignon from the Chile Central Valley is very smooth, yet has that syrup like texture on the palate, it could be an aperitif or a dessert wine. There are bags of red fruit, strawberries and raspberries, which linger to make this a very decent drink. It`s imported into Europe by Codorníu of Sant Sadurni, what more recommendation do you need! It will accompany a large range of dishes and keep its character.

Pata Negra Valdepeñas Reserva

This deep red classic from Bodegas Llanos in Valdepeñas is produced from the Tempranillo grape. If you drink it on immediate uncorking it tastes a little harsh, but has a satisfying lingering quality. It was an excellent accompaniment to a beef stir-fry with broccoli and oyster sauce. The following day after opening (albeit evacuated overnight) it was much silkier and balanced, and probably much easier to drink. It was like a smooth port. If you know you are going to drink all the bottle the same day, just let it breath for an hour or two, and I`m sure it will be great.

Campo Viejo Rioja Crianza

An ideal mix of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Mazuelo creates this impressive popular Rioja from the renown Campo Viejo Bodegas. It is a lovely smooth easy drinking fruity red with a hint of the oak in which it has been aged for at least 12 months. Use to compliment anything which needs a wine of character. We drank it with spare ribs in sticky rib sauce from a recipe of Mad Malcolm's from BBC Radio Leeds. Fantastic! Probably costs £5.99 in the supermarket.

Albali Caliza

This mix of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon is barrel aged and has bags of powerful flavours. Ideal to accompany red meats and steaks, it is a wine fermented especially for strong red lovers. A product from La Tierra de Castilla in central Spain, it has oak notes developed from 3 months in barrel, and temperature control and produced soft tannins and balanced acidity. In summary - right good red plonk!

Neblina - Sauvignon Blanc - Chile

Crisp, fresh and fruity, this wine is easy to drink with undertones from the original French style rather than the Australasian Sauvignons. Another good wine from the Central Valley in Chile, it works well of course with fish, seafood and white meat. However, we finished off a bottle while eating Pumpkin Pie at Halloween - and it went a treat! So obviously it is capable of acting as a dessert wine in some instances.

Luis Felipe Edwards reserva

This is a first class rosé from the Central Valley of Chile, bringing together the quintessential red grape varietals Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Another product of a leading Chilean family vineyard, this rosado is fresh, fruity and fun. In autumn you can pretend summer is still around. A versatile wine which can be drunk with a range of foods). Try with the baked potatoes stuffed with bolognese mince recipe.

Viña Albali Reserva

This tasty mix of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon from Valdepeñas has been aged for 14 months in oak barrels. The result is a lovely intense full-bodied red with strong oak taste from the ageing process.

Created and bottled by Felix Solis.

Try this wine with rib-eye steak, chips and salad - wonderful!

Viña MAIPO Reserva - Merlot

The exceptional climate and soil of the Central Valley of Chile has produced a lovely full-bodied Merlot. Aromas of cherries, pepper and cacao make this an interesting wine and very drinkable.

Great with pasta, risotto, white meats and soft cheeses. Try with Pecan-crusted duck fillets - fantastic.

Available at Sainsburys for an unbelievable £3.99.

Codorniu Vintage Rosado

This is another classic Cava from the region of Sant Sadurni d`Anoia near Barcelona. The Codorniu family have been making sparkling wine since 1872 and this tradition just shines through in quality.

Sparkling rosado doesn`t get much better than this - crafted from the Monastrell and Pinot Noir grapes of a single year. Enjoy the vibrant sparkle of summer fruits and aromas with almost any dish you like. This wine is excellent with anything, and great with simple nibbles like nuts and olives.

Available at many supermarkets on offer at around £5.95

Casillero del Diablo rosado

Chile has come to prominence in the last decade or two for the high quality of its wines. However Concha y Toro who make this wine, have been established for well over 100 years!

Very gluggable, fresh and fruity with a clean finish. It has plenty of forest fruits with a hint of spiciness. Bags of strength and I think it can be drunk with almost anything. This weekend we tried it with a mussel-fish soup, and it was fine.

It is said that Don Melchor, the founder of C y T, kept a batch of the best wines to himself in a cellar. He said that the Devil lived in the place, to keep unwanted visitors away!

Bodegas Palacio crianza - Rioja

This has all the usual vibrant red fruit flavours of Rioja with a nice easy drinking quality that would make it attractive to new Rioja drinkers. We used it to accompany a rather nice roasted lamb steaks with rosemary sweet potato recipe, and it just went a treat. Sometimes my wife needs strong reds diluting with water, but she said this was good on its own. A touch of vanilla is added by careful ageing in oak barrels.

Don Cosme Palacio founded his bodega in 1894 and this wine has the elegance of this long tradition of wine making.

Other information on top spanish wines

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