Once the barrier of 10 euros is overcome, climbing to the next level should not be too complicated. When curiosity about wine culture gets inside us, there is no turning back, but continuing to educate our palate and try different things does not imply leaving a fortune along the way. In the range of 20 to 30 euros we can find bottles of the highest quality for which it is worth spending a little more than usual. Because when we talk about good wine, it is not an expense but an investment. Word of winelover.
From left. on the right: Ulterior Tinto Velasco, Sela, Aponte Reserva and Granit.
Granit (Josep Grau)
The most unique white of this winery in Montsant comes from a white Grenache vineyard located in Marçà, at an altitude of 330 metres. A small estate of clayey-calcareous soils, whose particularity is in the large amounts of decomposed granite that inspire its label. It is the most literal representation of one of the most controversial words in the world of wine: minerality. And it is because of the contribution of this terroir and also because of the sea breeze that reaches the vines from the Mediterranean thanks to the Garbí wind. An ecological and biodynamic wine, which is aged with its lees for seven months in Austrian oak foudre to achieve aromatic complexity, volume and texture, safeguarding the essence of the variety. Price: 20.95 euros.
Aponte Reserva (Frontaura & Victoria)
From Frontaura & Victoria, Camino Pardo aims to get out of that old conception that most still have of Toro wines. Aponte Reserva is a fresh and floral tempranillo of old vines, but at the same time deep and balsamic, which highlights the new paradigm of the denomination without losing sight of the body and complexity of traditional elaborations. Warm, intense and velvety and, at the same time, cheerful and sweet, the aging of 18 months in French oak barrels does not star in the tasting, but contributes to polish edges and relax tannins. A new generation Bull that pays homage to the past. Price: 24.90 euros.
Tres Navíos Clarete (Cornet Ship)
The claret lives a second youth in the hands of new producers who have proposed to restore dignity to this style of wine, unjustly reviled for decades. The Castilian-Leonese sailors of Barco del Corneta had it "claret" and moved to the D.O. Cigales to elaborate Tres Navíos in the traditional way, with a mixture of red grapes of more than 20 years and white grapes of more than 60, direct pressing and a touch of actuality based on organic farming and an aging of six months on lees that ensures a great storage capacity. A structured, complex claret that surprises by its texture in the mouth. Price: 20 euros.
Sela (Bodegas Roda)
Roda's freshest and most energetic red is another of those wines that should always be on hand for its versatility and its ability to conquer all kinds of palates. The perfect companion for informal meetings and light meals, the gastronomic DNA of Sela gathers all the elegance of this Rioja winery, making it irresistible also with exotic ingredients and gourmet tapas. An accessible wine (its price is below that marked in this report) and versatile that seeks to reflect the most modern expression of Rioja, without renouncing a long and pleasant finish. Price: 19 euros.
From left. right: Secastilla, Tres Navios Clarete and José Pariente Cuvée Especial.
Secastilla (Viñas del Vero)
Grenache lovers are guaranteed success with this wine from old high altitude vineyards in Somontano and 10 months of barrel aging that offers the purest expression of northern Grenache and mountain viticulture, as well as the finesse of the roots that these strains have to the terroir in which they were planted. A balanced, tasty and long red, with a natural elegance that speaks of the terroir from which it comes and whose aging in new French oak barrels augurs an evolution in the bottle. We spend a little of the budget set in this article, but we assure that the experience deserves it. Price: 32 euros.
Ulterior Tinto Velasco (Bodegas Verum)
In 2007, Elías López Montero, winemaker and alma mater of Bodegas Verum, decided to replant some of the almost extinct ancestral varietals of Castilla La Mancha on a farm located a few kilometers from Tomelloso (Ciudad Real). This is how the Ulterior project was born, a trip to the past that tries to anticipate climate change and ensure the production of quality wines that transmit an origin, a terroir and a philosophy. This wine, made with red Velasco, one of those abandoned grapes, transmits elegance and character in equal parts. An organic red wine that flees from rusticity in favor of the balance between freshness and maturity. Price: 21 euros.
José Pariente Cuvée Special
Subtle wine, but with a lot of personality. A monovarietal of Verdejo in the style of José Pariente that surprises by its initial delicacy and by going, little by little, showing its great wine works in the glass. An elegant and creamy white, from two vineyards dating from 1930 planted on sands, which express the most herbaceous part of the variety. The fermentation and aging in concrete extend its life respecting its primary expression. An original and different Verdejo, whose intensity offers a new and exciting definition of the great grape of Rueda. Price: 29.50 euros.