Spanish wines

Where our Spanish wines grow

Our Spanish bottles come from Galicia, Bierzo and the Ribera del Duero, from Utiel-Requena inland from Valencia, from the Penedès south-west of Barcelona and from Mallorca. Our story on Galicia and the piece on heroic viticulture describe how people work on the Galician coast and on the steep slopes above the Sil.

Galicia and Bierzo

Several of our areas lie in Galicia. On the coast of the Rías Baixas, Robustiano and Baldomero Fariña of Attis make Albariño in the Val do Salnés; their Attis Lías Finas 2024 comes from vines over 50 years old trained on pergolas. In the Ribeiro, Inma Pazos of Coto de Gomariz works mainly with Treixadura in the Avia valley. In the Ribeira Sacra, Mencía and Godello grow on slate and granite above the river Sil.

Bierzo already belongs to the province of León. In Villafranca del Bierzo, José Mas makes a single wine, the Massuria, from Mencía vines planted between 1912 and 1970. The current release is the Massuria 2021. Since 2019 the Fariña brothers have been working here too, under the name Sangarida.

Ribera del Duero and Utiel-Requena

Near Roa de Duero, at 850 to 920 metres, owner Cayetana Santos and winemaker Mapi Melado run Raíz de Guzmán. Their Raíz de Guzmán Crianza 2022 is pure Tempranillo from vines aged 25 to 45 years and spends 12 to 14 months in French and American oak barriques.

Inland from Valencia, Bobal grows on limestone, often as old bush vines without irrigation. We think Bobal is the most underrated red grape in Spain. At Viña de Eufemia in Casas de Eufemia, Héctor Benavente lets herbs and shrubs grow between the rows. His Noria Tinto de Eufemia 2025 is 80 percent Bobal from old vines and 20 percent Merlot. In Requena, Pago de Tharsys, Eufemia and Vera de Estenas also make sparkling wine from Macabeo and Chardonnay.

Penedès and Mallorca

Can Ràfols dels Caus sits in the Garraf massif south-west of Barcelona. Of the estate's 455 hectares, about 50 are planted with vines; woodland and scrub cover the rest. The Can Ràfols Xarel·lo Pairal 2022 comes from the El Cirerer plot, from 70-year-old bush vines, and ferments for 40 days in 425-litre chestnut barrels.

On Mallorca, Robert and Conny have farmed Rosaberto near Felanitx since 2018, between dry-stone walls and with island grapes only, such as Callet, Manto Negro and Prensal Blanc. Their Rosaberto Negre Únic 2023, a pure Manto Negro aged in used barriques, came to 318 bottles.