Spain’s premium wine surge: From Cvne classics to bold Ribera vintage blends

Premiumisation has become a key strategy for Spain's quality wine producers. Historically associated with low pricing, Spanish wine faced a pressing need to develop value-added products and enhance the perception of its existing offerings by highlighting their strengths and distinctive features. 

The zonification and classifications carried out by various appellations have provided a favourable framework for the development of premium wines. Some regions, such as Bierzo and Priorat, have adopted a Burgundian model, distinguishing between village, site and vineyard wines. Others have created top-tier categories such as Gran Vino in Rueda, or in the case of Rioja, combining aged styles and single-vineyard wines (Viñedo Singular).

The international context has also favoured the appreciation of premium Spanish wines. During the pandemic, wines in higher price ranges  outperformed supermarket offerings, while the subsequent increase in raw material costs drove retail prices upwards. This trend has been particularly evident in areas with high average grape prices, such as Rías Baixas, and in wines priced above €15 that offered the quality to justify higher retail positioning. Challenges such as declining consumption, anti-alcohol campaigns, a slowdown in the secondary market (paradoxically, helping Vega Sicilia to top the Power 100 list), and the uncertainty created by the Trump administration's tariffs have not diverted attention from the upper end of the market.

Compared to the premium wines of the 1990s, the current approach is more refined and considerably more diverse. Today, the focus goes beyond selecting the best batches to emphasise terroir (old vines, exceptional vineyards) and traditional styles (extended ageing, field blends) -and it is no longer limited to reds. Availability is usually limited, especially for single-vineyard wines: production often amounts to a few thousand or even just a few hundred bottles.

Here are four recent examples of premium projects based on tastings and presentations we have attended in recent weeks.

Cvne: the expansion of a historic producer 

This century-old winery in the Barrio de la Estación in Haro has evolved into a major group with three wineries in Rioja and additional projects in Cava, Ribera del Duero, Valdeorras and Rías Baixas, following the acquisition of La Val in 2023. While Cvne operates across different price segments, it has maintained a strong quality identity linked to its most iconic brands. A few weeks ago, the group presented its "12 greatest wines" in Madrid.

CEO Víctor Urrutia said that Cvne aims to become the most relevant producer in Spain. For him, this means "making the best styles or the best wines in every village we are in; owning vineyards in the best villages in Spain; investing in vineyards, buying old vineyards and planting new ones". Urrutia also called for a shift in the perception of Spanish wine as being full-bodied, alcoholic and tannic. “We want to convey freshness in all our projects," he said.

The tasting table was dominated by Gran Reserva wines: the serious, firm Imperial (56,000 bottles, €74) contrasted with the distinctive, expressive red fruit of Viña Real (30,000 bottles, €50), a true showcase of Rioja Alavesa. We also tasted two whites: the revived Monopole (2,530 bottles, €115 in its extended-aged Gran Reserva version), with its characteristic sapid character and long finish; and the semi-sweet Corona Gran Reserva, from a plot in Villalba (Rioja Alta) where noble rot develops before the grapes are picked in January. Still in need of further  time in bottle, this rarity, limited to just 1,150 bottles, commands a top retail price of up to €200.

Among the limited-edition whites are two modern reds, both priced at €100, which have moved away from the extractive styles of the 2000s to become balanced, elegant single-vineyard wines. Cvne's Real de Asúa Carromaza (nearly 14,500 bottles) is now sold at La Place de Bordeaux, while Viña Real's Pagos de Viña Real (5,300 bottles featuring a striking label) is in the process of being renamed La Virgen.

Contino's more Mediterranean reds followed suit with Viña del Olivo (around 15,300 bottles, €82) and Contino Gran Reserva (just over 30,000 bottles, €69). Both wines come from the estate's distinctive alluvial soils on the banks of the Ebro River. Jorge Navascués has overseen winemaking since the 2017 vintage, while María Larrea is responsible for the rest of  Cvne’s Rioja wines (see both of them in the photo below together with Víctor Urrutia).

Ambitions are also rising elsewhere within the other wineries in the group, with wines such as Roger Goulart's The Roger, a cava aged for 77 months (4,500 bottles, €80 in export markets) and Ribera del Duero's single vineyard Áurea Minerva (3,000 bottles, €62.50). It comes from a vineyard in Peñaranda and is named after one of the daughters of the Real de Asúa brothers, the founders of Cvne. The range is rounded off by two whites: the deep, mineral Regueirón Godello from Valdeorras (under 2,500 bottles, €36) and the opulent Albariño La Val Gran Añada (under 7,500 bottles, €35), made from a selection of the best vineyards.

According to Víctor Urrutia, "premium ranges should be developed according to the intrinsic quality of the wine, the rest is just marketing." Perhaps this is why he does not think it important to have wines priced over €100 in the portfolio. "We have to distinguish between wines that naturally sell above €100 because market demand pushes them there, and those that are artificially positioned at that price. The important thing is to have the first type of wines,” he concludes.

The bold approach of Territorio Luthier in Ribera del Duero

Founded by Fernando Ortiz and Cristina Alonso in Aranda de Duero, Territorio Luthier is dedicated to reviving traditional winemaking in Ribera del Duero. All their premium wines are made from old vines tended by local winegrowers and distributed across more than 280 microplots.

Their distinctive approach is embodied in projects such as Hispania (around 20,000 bottles, €35), a range of wines aged in Spanish oak -a nod to tradition, says Ortiz, who claims that quercus pyrenaica was the predominant wood used to make barrels in Spain until the early 20th century. In this line is also the de guarda collection, meant to lay down. It includes a white wine and a clarete aged for 20 and up to 28 months respectively, both priced at around €55.

The estate’s most ambitious wines, however, are its extended ageing reds. In the 2012 vintage, Territorio Luthier made its first Gran Reserva under the guidance of Jesús Madrazo, former winemaker at Contino in Rioja. Grapes were sourced from Aranda de Duero, an area that Ortiz says produces elegant wines, and the wine was aged in seasoned barrels for 24 to 30 months. In each racking, Ortiz checked the evolution, monitored oak influence and discarded any batches that did not meet the estate’s quality standards. Volumes remain low -generally below 3,000 bottles- and prices range between €230 and €325. The release strategy involves launching 500 bottles in successive years, with prices increasing by 15% to 20% for each additional year of cellar ageing. Four vintages are currently available: the last batch of 2012, another of 2014 (2013 was not produced) and the first batches of both 2015 and 2016, launched simultaneously to meet demand.

The aim is twofold: to show the ageing potential of the wines and to offer buyers a return on their investment. "Immediacy lowers the quality of the area," says Fernando Ortiz. “If you chase fleeting trends, you risk losing your identity. My ideal Ribera wines are those of the 70s, 80s and early 90s, not the over-extracted reds of the 2000s.” His view is informed by his experience in his family's old wine business at Bodega Don Carlos in Aranda de Duero, where he worked extensively before concentrating on Territorio Luthier.

The estate’s most expensive and groundbreaking wine is Luthier Compás CVC, a vintage-blend red inspired by Sherry Soleras and Champagne’s perpetual reserves. The process starts with a first vinification, a single barrel wine aged for two years, which is then blended with wine selected from the following vintage, also aged for two years, and so on. Each new vintage acts as a fresh movement in the wine’s evolving melody. On average, the wines spend five and a half years ageing before release.

The first two editions will be available in June. CVC 1 is a blend of the 2018 and 2019 vintages. In the 2018 vintage the estate filled a 500-litre barrel from a Tempranillo vineyard with 25% Garnacha and small percentages of other varieties in Olmedillo. For 2019, they chose a vineyard in Zazuar (a 500-litre barrel) and a small plot of Garnacha from Aranda (another 500-litre barrel) with a shiny leaf clone that the winery considers to be of a very special quality. For CVC 2, they added a 225-litre barrel from a vineyard in Aranda from the 2020 vintage. In this case, Tempranillo grows alongside Alicante Bouschet, Garnacha Peluda and the same bright leaf Garnacha clone. 

Prodution is highly limited: just 284 bottles of CVC 1 are on release at €1,090, while 336 bottles of CVC 2 are available en primeur for €500 and will have a retail price of €900. Both wines have outstanding depth and length, with CVC 2 offering a truly special texture and CVC 1 showing an elegant, slightly more structured profile.

"The Gran Reserva was already a major leap forward and a big change in attitude," says Ortiz, who laments the rarirty of Spanish wines at major international tastings and the difficulty of selling very expensive Spanish bottles to customers willing to spend €3,000 or €4,000. "Our aim is to raise the profile of Ribera del Duero and Spanish wines internationally and to prove that our region can produce subtle, elegant, age-worthy wines. That’s the spirit behind CVC”, he explains. “Of course,  production must remain limited so that it remains highly exclusive and difficult to find." A sense of pride is also important to Ortiz. "We must have confidence in our ability to make great wines".

Vintae: mature projects

This Rioja-based group is a good example of progression towards increasingly ambitious wines. CEO, Ricardo "Richi" Arambarri, acknowledges how far they have come since taking over the family business from their father in 2008. "As young people with an international outlook in the midst of a recession, we focused on what the markets were demanding from Spain at the time: mid-priced wines offering good value for money." Since then, the group has grown alongside its owners, developing new projects and consolidating its presence in Rioja. 

One of their most interesting projects, given the character of the terroir, is Viñedos El Pacto. With its own independent winery, it sources grapes from traditional vineyards  in the Sonsierra region, and particularly along the Alto Najerilla valley. The latter is home to both the Arambarri family and the Acha family, a vine-growing dynasty closely linked to the project and whose legacy is now preserved by Vintae's technical director, Raúl Acha.

Following the release of two Viñedo Singular reds, Riojanda (€60, Sonsierra) and Valdechuecas (€50, Alto Najerilla), the winery has expanded its range with two new single-vineyard wines from very old plots that pay tribute to the late Jesús Acha, Raúl's father. The wines are made from two of his favourite vineyards in Cárdenas. Senda de Haro blends Viura and other white varieties, while Pieza La Villa is predominantly Garnacha. Both wines are produced in limited quantities –fewer than 1,500 bottles– and retail at over €100.

Arambarri is committed to raising awareness of this "sensational" part of Spain's viticultural heritage. "Perhaps 20 years ago we didn't have the opportunity to do what we are doing today, but this direction aligns with the global trend towards lower consumption and higher quality,” he explains. “Even when it comes to premium wines, Spain remains a haven of value compared to our competitors. Moreover, with the type of vineyards destined for El Pacto's wines, there is no other way forward." 

Vintae is pursuing a similar strategy in Toro, a region they know well through the development of Matsu. A new wine priced above €100 is set to be released next year. In the meantime, and given the natural production limitations of single-vineyard wines, Arambarri plans to increase the availability of the Classica Gran Reserva range, starting with 2011 vintage, and to roll out further releases of the Pandemonium sparkling wine project, sold without the DOCa seal.

Singular vineyards from a cooperative

Bodegas Sonsierra (San Vicente de la Sonsierra, Rioja Alta), a cooperative with around 120 members farming approximately 400ha of vines, offers another example of how Rioja is evolving. Rafa Usoz, technical director since 1993, remembers that the cooperative once farmed 600ha. To counter the ongoing generational renewal, the winery leases vineyards from retiring members (currently farming 50ha under this model) and, since 2012, has encouraged the preservation of old vines by increasing the price paid for their grapes.

This strategy has enabled Sonsierra to enthusiastically embrace Rioja's Viñedo Singular category, shaping a range of six Viñedo Singular reds, each produced in limited volumes –from 300 to just over 2,500 bottles– and priced between €74 and €90.

All these wines are made at a dedicated winery built in 2017, where other single-vineyard and micro-cuvées are produced. An interesting example is a Malvasía aged in a 500-litre barrel, producing just over 500 bottles. While the heraldic-inspired labels are more visually striking than terroir-focused, the range's main achievement is to highlight the different profiles of each vineyard.

El Muérdago is a clean, fruit-driven red from a vineyard planted in 1960 at 550m elevation in the Barranco de Valseca ravine. The style  is enhanced by its ageing in egg-shaped concrete vats. The most powerful wine is El Manao, a Tempranillo from a vineyard planted in 1927 next to the Ebro river. Duermealmas,  planted in 1940 on alluvial soil in La Liende, is a fully ripe red with almost liqueur-like fruit intensity. Planted in 1943, Rincón de los Galos comes from an isolated terrace surrounded by woods in the Gallocanta area. The soil is very shallow and some of the vines grow directly out of the sandstone, producing the most mineral and powerful wine, with noticeable tannins, but also plenty of character and ageing potential.

Two new Viñedo Singular releases were recently presented at the winery: Quitasueños and Soltierra. The first one is the only Tempranillo in the range aged in American oak. With a restrained structure and soft texture, it comes from a vineyard planted in 1950 on sandy-loam soils in El Bosque. Soltierra is the only Garnacha in the range (the rest are Tempranillos). It is sourced from the highest vineyard (620m) at the Diasol site, near the Santa María de la Piscina chapel in Peciña, and planted in 1910. It offers an expressive, herbal profile with hints of orange peel.

Retail prices for the Viñedo Singular range are significantly higher than Bodegas Sonsierra's previous top cuvée, Perfume de la Sonsierra, which retails for around €33 in Spain. The cooperative sees the new range not only as a way of improving its market position, but also as a tool to showcase the uniqueness of the Sonsierra landscape.

For Usoz, "these wines are more about prestige and reputation than sales." The technical director of Bodegas Sonsierra also sees them as a way to reward and honour the cooperative’s growers. In a meaningful gesture, the first bottle of each of these wines is given to the winegrower who tends the vineyard.