Unique Wines of Spain August 9th

WINE SELECTION

 

1-Avancia 2023 Godello Valdeorras Spain
Wine Enthusiast 94 Rating ($29.99 bottle by the 6pk $25.00 bottle)
An immediately appealing nose opens up with vibrant green fruit and hints of white flowers. The first sip introduces an intriguing complexity, showcasing a sleek minerality and well-integrated acid profile. There is great energy and tension here, too, making this wine really hard to put down.

 

2-Bodegas Muga 2024 Rosado Rioja Spain
Vinous 91 Rating ($15.99 bottle by the 6pk $14.00 bottle)
The 2024 Rosado Muga, from Alto Najerilla, was aged for 16 weeks on lees. Pale pink, with cherry and mild sour cherry aromas accented by rose petals, it's light and fresh with malic acidity. Expressive and lively, this is a crisp, uncomplicated Rosé.

 

3-Bodegas y Vinedos Ilurce 2019 Rio Mazos Rioja Spain
Wine Enthusiast 93 Rating ($32.99 bottle by the 6pk $27.00 bottle)
Bright violet-red in the glass, this wine has a nose of cherry and raspberry, with a touch of orange blossom. A soft floral note shows on the palate as well, along with sleek tannins and flavors of black cherry, cassis, milk chocolate, clove and violet that linger into a floral-scented finish.

 

4-Descendientes de José Palacios 2022 Pétalos Bierzo Spain
Wine Advocate 93 Rating ($26.99 bottle by the 6pk $23.00 bottle)
The 2022 Pétalos was produced with 85% Mencía, 10% white grapes and 5% other reds from over 90 hectares, 20% owned by them and the rest from 180 families. It fermented with some full clusters in oak and stainless steel vats and matured in barrels of different sizes for 10 months. It's clearly more Mediterranean, with notes of rockrose and other aromatic herbs, juicy and round, more fruit-driven, aromatic, velvety and very pleasant and easy to drink.

 

5-Dominio de Pingus 2022 "Psi" Ribera del Duero Spain
Vinous 93 Rating ($39.99 bottle by the 6pk $36.00 bottle)
The 2022 PSI hails from the Sorian side of Ribera del Duero. Ripe plum, cherry and herbal aromas mingle with a balsamic touch, soft cedar and a hint of prune. The palate is juicy and creamy in texture, defined by firm, fine-grained tannins and moderate structure. Concentration comes from the old vines, while lively acidity balances the fine tannins. A solid example of Ribera Soriana.

 

6-Alvaro Palacios 2022 "Les Terrasses" Priorat Spain
Wine Spectator 93 Rating ($49.99 bottle by the 6pk $42.00 bottle)
This sleek, well-balanced red leads with a savory touch of mountain herbs, a subtle accent for flavors of ripe mulberry and black raspberry, backed by hints of iron, paprika, vanilla and white pepper. A firm frame of plush-textured tannins provide definition through the lingering finish.

 

7-Sierra Cantabria 2022 Finca El Bosque Rioja Spain
Wine Advocate 95 Rating ($149.99 bottle by the 6pk $135.00 bottle)
The 2022 El Bosque has more toasted notes than its siblings and hints of sweet spices and ripe black fruit. They have done soil studies of this vineyard, and the soil is very balanced, with good topsoil with organic matter, some sand, some red clay and gravel and the compact limestone at the bottom that provides the elegance. The wine is medium to full-bodied with grip from the 2022 tannins. Despite everything, it shows some lightness, especially in the mid-palate. 8,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2024 after 18 months in new French oak barrels.