There is a strong focus on white wines among the new releases. Photo credits: A.C.
Here are a few of the new releases that have landed on our desk in recent months. Most of them are in line with current trends, with a focus on white and rosé wines. There are also some commemorative and experimental wines, designed to raise awareness of the producers behind them and to explore the potential of different grape varieties, winemaking methods and ageing vessels.
Until now, we have only published scores in our ‘Wines’ database, but at the request of some readers, we will start to include scores in relevant articles, using the 100-point system that is popular among wine critics. Our intention is to use the same criteria in our database from 2025.
The first white wine from Cortijo Los Aguilares in Ronda (Málaga) has been many years in the making. The bodega sought the advice of the Bourguignon family to identify the most suitable soils to plant white grapes in the estate. Limestone was the final choice and different varieties were tested. The dominant grape is Garnacha Blanca, a variety that winemaker Bibi García loves and knows well from her time in Priorat. There are also small amounts of Viognier and Vijiriega Blanca, a recovered grape variety from Andalusia. The influence of the elevation, a key factor in Ronda, is particularly evident here as the grapes grow in the winery's highest plot, at 900 metres above sea level. The wine has been aged for six months on its lees, partly in oak barrels, partly in stainless steel tanks.
Breñal has a fine, perfumed nose (white flowers, lavender), with notes of white fruit over a lightly smoky background. The palate is full and fresh, with hints of wild herbs and a spicy note of white pepper. A truly well-balanced white, with enveloping texture and seamless winemaking. It will benefit from two to three years of bottle ageing. A very good addition to the already interesting range of Cortijo Los Aguilares.
Grape varieties: Garnacha Blanca, Viognier and Vijiriega
Bottles: 3,000
Alcohol: 13.5% abv.
Price: €29
Score: 93
Martina and Ignacio Prieto Pariente, the second generation of Bodegas José Pariente continue their exploration of the different terroirs of Castilla y León. Until now, they have sold these limited production wines under the VT label, sourcing their grapes from Gredos and several villages in Valladolid. For this wine, even though Godello has been authorised as a secondary variety in the DO Rueda, they have chosen León to explore the potential of this variety under the Bierzo appellation.
The grapes come from a vineyard planted in 1986 on a hillside at 607 metres elevation in the village of Cabañas Raras. The soils are quartzite and slate with a clay-loam texture; yields stand at around 6,500 kg/ha. This is the second white from Prieto Pariente's ‘Viñedos Únicos’ project, after their Viognier made with grapes from La Seca. The winemaking also combines oak barrels and stainless steel tanks. On the nose it has fleshy white fruit on a background of hay and dried herbs. The palate is fresh, with some volume, slightly herbal, yet serious and consistent. A well-made white that provides a nice approach to the variety.
Grape varieties: Godello
Alcohol: 12.5% abv.
Price: €16
Score: 91
This wine opens a new chapter for the whites at Dominio de Tares, replacing the former barrel-fermented Godello and becoming a village wine from Bembibre in Bierzo Alto, an area with steep vineyards up to 700 metres elevation. Only the oldest Godello, planted in the early 1990s, goes into this wine, while the younger 12–15-year-old vines are destined for the entry-level La Sonrisa de Tares. The next step, according to winemaker Rafael Somonte, involves selecting one of the best Godello plots to produce a lieux-dit or single-vineyard white. Following the conversion of the Dominio de Tares vineyards in Bembibre to organic production, the wine will be labelled organic from the 2024 vintage.
Made with native yeasts, fermentation begins in stainless steel tanks and the wine is then transferred to 500-litre French oak barrels, where it rests on its fine lees for six months. The aim is to reflect the character of this high elevation area by combining the full ripeness obtained in the upper part of the hillside, where slate and pebble soils are dominant, with the freshness of the clay soils in the lower part. Citrus notes (lemon zest) stand out against a background of dried herbs with the fruit taking centre stage over the oak. Crisp and almost sharp mouthfeel, followed by a warm slate note that returns to citrus on the finish. This wine offers good ageing potential and value for money as the price has not increased significantly compared to the former barrel-fermented Dominio de Tares.
Grape varieties: Godello
Alcohol: 13.5% abv.
Bottles: 12,400
Price: €18,50
Score: 93
The practice of sharing R&D results and producing experimental wines has grown from exotic to commonplace. At Arínzano, a Vino de Pago from Navarra, winemaker José Manuel Rodríguez has been working with Chardonnay, the estate's flagship variety, in almost every possible direction for several years. His work has resulted in a ‘trilogy’ consisting of Pureza, a Chardonnay aged in a spherical concrete tank; Armonía, which combines ageing in new and second-use French oak with clay amphorae; and Eternidad, a vintage blend in the style of a solera.
The complexity resulting from the combination of four vintages (2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018) takes Eternidad into a completely different dimension, albeit at the cost of its limited availability (barely 500 bottles were produced) and high price, suitable only for a few pockets. The oxidative nuances (salted almonds and hazelnuts) work beautifully without overshadowing the peachy fruit character and the buttery notes that bring to mind a rich, opulent style of Chardonnay. The sapid, sherry-like notes of the Solera system work well with the relatively high alcohol, compared to other experiences where it feels overpowering, as is the case with Pureza. But Eternidad is a different kind of Chardonnay; one that stands out for its depth and lingering finish.
Grape varieties: Chardonnay
Bottles: 500
Alcohol: 15.5% abv.
Price: €200
Score: 94
La Rioja Alta's winery in Rías Baixas and most of its vineyards are located in the O Rosal sub-area, where a major renovation is underway to improve the quality of the grapes that go to Lagar de Cervera Albariño and the area's traditional blend destined for Pazo de Seone. However, their new premium wine, an Albariño aged on its lees, comes from a vineyard in Cambados that the company bought in 2021. It is adjacent to one of their own parcels, hence the name Lindeiros, which means boundary in Spanish. It is a 3.8-hectare vineyard planted in 1987 on the distinctive granitic soils of the Salnés sub-area. The winemaking process follows the trend of combining different vessels to achieve more complexity; thus, the wine was aged for 12 months in egg-shaped concrete vats (25%), 400-litre French oak barrels (25%) and stainless steel tanks (50%).
With aromas of stone fruit, dried herbs and a hint of pickled fish, combined with the saltiness and sea breeze of the Salnés area, this wine has all the attributes of the category. Fresh on the palate but not sharp, this finely crafted Albariño is enveloping, with well-integrated acidity. An ambitious effort -note the retail price- with good cellaring potential.
Additionally, the launch of Lindeiros consolidates the upward trend among Rioja producers based in Rías Baixas. Among those that stand out are the new Mar de Frades Albarino single-vineyard wines (Zamora Company), which retain their signature blue bottle and, above all, the exciting revamp of Murrieta's Pazo de Barrantes. While awaiting the release of Vega Sicilia’s first Albariño, a part of Rías Baixas is moving into the super-premium category.
Grape varieties: Albariño
Bottles: 3.800
Alcohol: 13% abv.
Price: €50
Score: 93
A small part of Castilla-La Mancha is gradually reinventing itself. The good news is that the region is discovering that it can produce wines that meet new market trends. Take Cueva del Granero launched this year by Finca Antigua, the Cuenca-based bodega belonging to the Rioja group Martínez Bujanda. It combines the organic seal that appeals to an increasingly wider audience with a skin-contact process that lasts up to six months.
Although not an overly extreme expression of the category, this wine is unmistakably ‘orange’ thanks to its deep, almost copper orange colour. It displays stone fruit, grapefruit and orange peel aromas. The tannins are present but in no way excessive. Remarkable in a wine from Castilla-La Mancha (although it is sold without geographical indication) is the moderate alcohol content, avoiding hot and heavy sensations and offering a completely different palate structure, but with enough grip to accompany a meal from start to finish.
Grape varieties: Viura
Bottles: 4,000
Alcohol: 12% abv.
Price: €14
Score: 89
After a few years of managing the transition of the family wineries after their acquisition by the Perelada Group, Julián Chivite has stepped down from the presidency of Chivite to return to what he knows best: rosé winemaking and the vineyards of his native Cintruénigo in the Ribera Baja sub-area of Navarra. To this end, he has teamed up with his sons and revived the Unzu brand from a former personal project.
The project has begun with a pale rosé aged on its lees. It follows in the footsteps of Las Fincas de Chivite and it also carries the VT 3 Riberas seal (DO Navarra only allows the saignée method for rosés and excludes direct pressing). Grapes are sourced from 30-year-old vines grown in gravel-rich, clay-limestone soils in Carratudela and Molengo in Cintruénigo. The nose is very subtle, with aromatic herbs, flower petals, talcum powder and light spicy notes. The palate is consistent, with an enveloping texture and good red fruit character. This food-friendly rosé comes in one of those bottles that won't go unnoticed, much like the super-premium rosés from Provence.
Grape varieties: Garnacha
Bottles: 19,000
Alcohol: 13.5% abv.
Price: €17
Score: 91
It is remarkable how the rosé boom has driven some producers to venture into the category with varieties that were never used for this purpose. This is exactly the case with this new release from Ánima Negra, a Mallorcan winery that pioneered the use of Callet grapes and is now behind the first rosé made exclusively from its signature variety.
They have used grapes from Son Negre, a district of Felanitx in the southern part of the island, which has distinctive reddish Call Vermell soils. The grapes are cooled down to 2ºC, macerated for some 20 hours and the must is fermented in stainless steel tanks. The wine is then aged for four months in concrete tanks. It is significant that concrete tanks are increasingly used in Spain to produce white and rosé wines. Inspired by the pale tones of Provence and presented in a bottle that emphasises the colour, this is a fresh, easy-drinking rosé with wild herbs and pomegranate aromas and a salty finish that invites to take another sip.
Grape varieties: Callet
Bottles: 9,000
Alcohol: 11.5% abv.
Price: €20
Score: 91
Not all the new releases hat we have tasted come from established producers. Temerario Wines is a new project launched by winegrowers and cooperative members from Aldeanueva de Ebro in Rioja Oriental who want to show the potential of old vineyards at risk of being grubbed up and put their village’s name on the map. The driving force is Alejandro Perfecto, a technician in oenological products who has committed himself to working with the family vineyards.
2023 is his debut vintage and this rosé is the first wine to be released. It comes from a Garnacha vineyard planted in 1960 in a site called Lobera with yields barely reaching 3,500 k/ha. Aged for five months on its lees in stainless steel tanks, it is a raspberry-coloured wine, with lively red fruit and hints of strawberries and cream. The best part starts on the palate. It is savoury, with good acidity despite the heat and drought that affected the final stages of maturation in 2023, and enough weight and consistency to replace a red if you are looking for a fresher choice to accompany your meal.
Grape variety: Garnacha
Bottles: 1,719
Alcohol:
Price: €15
The latest release of ‘Ensayos Capitales’, Queirón's experimental and ephemeral range of wines, consists of exchanging musts and grape skins during the fermentation process. It all starts with separate fermentations of three grape varieties: Tempranillo, Graciano and Garnacha. After six days, the Graciano must is added to the Tempranillo cap, then the same must is added to the Garnacha cap, and finally, the fermentation is completed with its own skins. In this way, the blend takes place during the fermentation process, but in a completely different way to the co-fermentation that is typical of a field blend.
The result is a deep ruby-purple red wine with pronounced primary aromas, generous fruit (blueberry, blackberry) and herbal nuances. The fruit-driven palate is equally intense, with acidity and firm tannins that need to be rounded off. This is a wine for lovers of fruity, vivid reds. As a technical experiment, it may be interesting to have an extra element in the cellar to add punch and energy to blends.
Grape varieties: Graciano, Tempranillo, Garnacha
Bottles: 7,425
Alcohol: 14% abv.
Price: €36
Score: 91
As a Bordeaux lover, Alfonso Cortina would have been most proud that his Montes de Toledo estate has produced a wine of the quality and style of this red, which his children have released as a tribute to him after his death from Covid in 2020. It was Cortina himself who, in the 2019 vintage, suggested to winemaker Adolfo Hornos that two barrels of Cabernet Franc, one of his favourite grapes, be added to the Hipperia cuvée. The new wine released under his name is an assemblage of these two barrels, plus three more destined to Hipperia. Cabernet Franc now makes up 79% of the blend.
It is remarkable how the variety reveals itself, with tension and firmness, well away from sweet fruit tones, and its potential to be transformed into fresh, contemporary wines in this region of Castilla-La Mancha. It has a clear Bordeaux character (redcurrant, roasted red pepper) and Mediterranean forest aromas, as well as a spicy character (black pepper). On the palate it is dark and deep, powerful yet supple and velvety. An excellent red, presented in a sumptuous (and heavy) bottle and priced to match its ambition and the exceptional circumstance it pays tribute to.
Varieties: 76% Cabernet Franc, 24% Cabernet Sauvignon
Bottles: 1,370
Alcohol: 14.5% vol.
Price: €150
Score: 94
