The Rock Stars of Spanish Wine

IMHO these are the world's most exciting reds right now

If Spanish reds aren’t yet on your radar, it’s time to take notice. Spain is in the midst of a wine revolution, led by a new generation of winemakers who are producing energetic wines that express the uniqueness of where they were grown.  

There’s an edgy, rule-breaking spirit to these wines that makes opening each bottle exciting. Dozens of passionate, young winemakers are doing cool projects around the country. Having tasted through a bunch over the past few years, I’ve landed on some favorites that I’m bringing you today. 

TL;DR — This is your cheatsheet to the rock stars of Spanish wine.

These producers all farm organically or biodynamically, and use techniques like native yeast fermentation, whole-cluster fermentation, and minimal oak aging to achieve fresh and focused wines. I know when I see these bottles on a store shelf, I can pick them up with the confidence that I’ll love the wines. And now you can too!

Caption: Sara Pérez and René Barbier of Venus la Universal, courtesy of Skurnik

Sara Pérez and René Barbier of Venus la Universal, Mas Martinet, and Clos Mogador 

This husband-wife winemaking team grew up as neighbors, the kids of two pioneering winemakers in the Priorat region of Spain. Now they’ve innovated at their family wineries, Mas Martinet and Clos Mogador, as well as spinning up Venus la Universal, their shared project of incredible, affordable wines. The goddess Venus is the inspiration for this label, which focuses on sensual, tactile wines.

Raúl Pérez of Bodegas y Viñedos Raúl Pérez

Raúl Pérez has been called one of the world’s most visionary winemakers. He started out at his family winery in the 1990s, and later struck out on his own. He producers many wines over several labels, among them the affordably priced Ultreia collection. His wines are built on site transparency, reflecting the unique aspects of where they were grown.

Caption: Daniel Landi and Fernando Garcia of Comando G, courtesy of European Cellars

Daniel Landi and Fernando Garcia of Comando G

Two longtime friends, Daniel Landi and Fernando Garcia, created Comando G, around their passion for the Spanish grape Garnacha. Their name references several “Gs”: The Garnacha grape; the region of Gredos (near Madrid) where they farm; and a popular Japanese anime series from the ‘80s. The duo is focused on creating mineral-driven wines from mountainside vineyards.

Roberto Santana, Alfonso Torrente, Laura Ramos, and José Martínez of Envínate

Envínate is a project of four winemaker friends — Roberto Santana, Alfonso Torrente, Laura Ramos, and José Martínez — to explore distinctive parcels on sites near the Atlantic Ocean. Their goal is to make pure, authentic wines with minimal intervention.

What to know

Spain is a big place. There are 12 major wine regions, and more vineyard land planted here than any other country. Winemaking in Spain dates back to the Roman Empire, and has gone through many ups and downs in the modern era. 

The 20th century was a time of political upheaval in Spain, with the Spanish Civil War, World War II, and the Franco dictatorship playing out in all aspects of life, including the wine trade. The net-net is that wine producers found themselves playing catch up to worldwide trends in the post-Franco era of the late 1970s, pulling up indigenous grapes and planting international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Chardonnay. 

Heading into the 1990s, the country’s most acclaimed wines — Rioja reds and fortified Sherry wines — carried the flag for Spanish winemaking on the international stage. 

But quietly, a new movement was brewing. Passionate, young winemakers like the ones I’ve highlighted were traveling and working in acclaimed wineries all over the world, bringing back new techniques to employ at their home wineries. On returning home, some winemakers left their tradition-focused family wineries to break out on their own, instilling many new projects with an innovative, DIY spirit.

Spain’s new guard winemakers are making waves in a few ways. They’ve rediscovered the country’s indigenous grapes. Spain has some 600 different native grapes, including Garnacha (Grenache in France), Tempranillo, Bobal, Mencia, and others. Old vineyards can be found throughout the country — many neglected or abandoned — and are now being resurrected. 

Another shift has been the move to site-specific wines (sourced from a single vineyard). Traditionally, Spanish reds were blends of grapes sourced from multiple vineyards, and then marketed on the prestige of an estate brand (similar to Bordeaux). These were powerful wines, high in alcohol and heavy bodied, and aged for long periods in oak. New-school winemakers have dialed back oak use and optimized for freshness and balance with the goal of better expressing the places the grapes were grown. 

Five to try

I’ve tasted through reds, whites, and rosés from these producers — I recommend them all. But I recently revisited a few reds that are perfect for this wintry moment. 

Venus La Universal, Montsant Tinto “Dido” 2018 ($18)

Dido is one of the more playful full-bodied reds I’ve ever had. It’s ripe and rich, but with a remarkable freshness and purity of fruit — attributable to partial aging in clay amphorae. It’s made mostly from Grenache and Syrah. This wine totally overdelivers for the price. I love it with weightier dishes like chili and stews — and also tacos. Truly, I’d recommend any of the many Dido bottlings from Sara Pérez and René Barbier. They’re excellent values. 

Mas Martinet, Martinet Bru, Priorat ($39)

Also from Sara Pérez comes this stunning Grenache-based blend that is incredibly light on its feet. There’s a complexity of aromas and flavors (black cherries + coffee + violet + rosemary) and a pleasurable silky texture, but the most notable aspect of this wine is its tension and vibrancy — it feels alive! It’s my favorite bottle of the year so far. I loved it with a porchetta pork roast and polenta. 

Envínate Garnacha Tintorera Albahra 2019 ($23)

The juicy, red grape Garnacha Tintorera and Moravia Agria, a rare, high-acid grape, are the basis for this single-vineyard wine from the Envínate crew. Rose petals and cranberries lead the way into this refreshing sipper. Bright acidity plays with ripe tannins and minerality, making it a really versatile food wine. This is an ace pairing with roasted chicken, but there are so many options: Mediterranean dips (hummus, baba ghanoush) and Spanish tapas platters come to mind. 

Bodegas y Viñedos Raúl Pérez, Ultreia St. Jacques, Bierzo Tinto 2018 ($18)

This wine is a fantastic value from Raúl Pérez. It’s fresh and juicy with intense perfume (violet + wild herbs + coffee), red fruit flavors, ripe tannins, and streaks of minerality. It’s made from a field blend of Mencia, Garnacha Tintorera, and other grapes grown on old vines in the Bierzo region. The wine is fermented with native yeasts and aged in neutral oak casks. It was delicious with this slow cooked pork shoulder with lemon and garlic, made by my mother-in-law (thanks Joyce!).  

Comando G, La Bruja de Rozas 2018 ($27)

This elegant and nuanced Garnacha from Daniel Landi and Fernando Garcia is compelling for its savory minerality. It’s full bodied with fine tannins, wrapped around a dark fruit core and layers of complex flavors (leather + slate + black pepper + coffee + herbs). This is the entry wine for Comando G and is widely available. I’d recommend it with a charcuterie plate. To get a taste for New Spain, it’s a great place to start.