($9, Underdog Wine Merchants):  A more enjoyable $9 wine?  I doubt it.  Made entirely from Tempranillo–the winemaker, Maria Martinez Sierra, is known locally as “Mrs. Tempranillo”–this traditional mid-weight Rioja delivers a lovely and nicely balanced combination of spice and fruit.  Fresh and bright, it has surprising class for a wine of this price.… Read more

($45, Fine Estates from Spain):  Remelluri, a star producer in the region, claims to be the oldest and first estate to bottle Rioja.  A typical Rioja blend of mostly (80%) Tempranillo, with small amounts of Graciano, Garnacha and Mazuelo, this wine comes entirely from the estate’s vineyards. … Read more

($22, Folio Wine Company):  After his father died in 2000, Alvaro Palacios, one of the current superstars of Spanish wine, returned to run the family estate in Rioja.  He replanted the vineyard, modernized the cellar and discarded the traditional nomenclature of Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, terms that indicate the duration of aging prior to the wine’s release. … Read more

($53, Jorge Ordonez):  Consumers wishing to drink wines with mature character without spending a fortune at auction or stocking their own wine cellar can head to their local retailer and pull this one off the shelf.  Gran Reserva designation in Rioja means the wine was aged a minimum of 5 years prior to release. … Read more

($20, Eric Solomon Selections):  Capçanes ranks with the best wine cooperatives in the world.  Working with growers whose vineyards have been in the same family for generations gives them access to old vines.  This blend of Merlot (50%), Garnacha (35%) and   Tempranillo combines lively fruity with earthy–leafy–flavors.… Read more

($17, Eric Solomon Selections):  Val de Sil is one of the best producers in Valdeorras, a small (3,300-acre) and up and coming appellation in Spain’s northwest.  The primary white grape here, the Godello, has enormous inherent acidity and hence the wines are fresh and lively with a penetrating citrus quality. … Read more

($33, Skurnik):  Rioja, Spain’s most well-known wine region, is one the rare places where the producer ages the wine for the consumer and releases it when it is ready to drink.  This decade-old wine is their current release.  From one of the region’s traditional–and best–producers, this aged Rioja delivers a panoply of dried fruit flavors, leafy nuances and hints of leather and other non-fruit flavors. … Read more

($14, Vineyard Brands):  This mid-weight delivers an engaging and balanced combination of bright red fruit-like flavors and winsome vanilla notes.  Suave tannins lend structure but allow for immediate enjoyment.  It’s light enough to accompany a roast chicken, but has enough stuffing to serve with a steak.… Read more

($17, Eric Solomon Selections):  This aromatic blend of Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer–it’s like a flower shop in a glass–is deceptive.  The nose makes you think it’s going to be sweet, but it’s not.  It is exuberant and refreshing.  If you could bottle springtime, this would be it. … Read more

($11, Eric Solomon Selections):  This 100% Garnacha (Grenache) delivers a delightful array of spice and fresh strawberry-like flavors.  It’s an everyday kind of wine–at a very attractive price–that manages to provide a balanced, almost sweet savory, mixture of flavors.  Mild tannins mean it takes a chill nicely, so remember it for the summertime.… Read more

($19, Eric Solomon Selections):  The grapes–100% Godello–come from younger vines in a separate and distinct part of the vineyard from which Palacios produces his iconic As Sortes. Much more aromatic than his As Sortes (reviewed previously), Louro do Bolo has an engaging floral quality atop a hint of minerality and shows the range of wine made from the Godello grape. … Read more

($21):  Consumers unfamiliar with the Godello grape are in for a treat.  Naturally high in acidity, its palate cleansing ability makes it an obvious choice for highly flavored dishes.  Pena das Donas’s rendition, from the small, relatively new DO of Ribera Sacra, undergoes lees-aging in tank, which adds complexity while still preserving the inherent fruitiness of the grape. … Read more

($9, Eric Solomon Selections):  Regular WRO readers know that I fail to embrace the Rosé craze, almost always preferring a chilled light red wine (see this week’s review of Celler Espelt’s Garnatxa).  Well, here’s an exception.  This Rosé, made entirely from Garnacha, has real character and alluring nuances of wild strawberry-like flavors. … Read more

($30, Eric Solomon Selections): Priorat is known for its great red wines.  But distinctive whites can be made there, just as in other great red wine areas, such as the Côtes de Nuits and Pessac-Léognan.  Made entirely from Garnacha Blanca, it leads with a gorgeous floral–almost peachy–nose followed by an engaging earthiness and bracing minerality, all amplified by vibrant acidity. … Read more

($11, Eric Solomon Selections):  Looking for great value in a brisk, lively summertime wine?  You’ve found it with this blend of Garnacha Blanca (65%) and Macabeo from one of Spain’s less well-known DOs, Empordá-Costa Brava, located in the country’s northeastern corner near the French border. … Read more

($12, Eric Solomon Selections):  Although Sauvignon Blanc comprises only 15% of the blend–the remainder is Verdejo (60%) and Viura–it is the primary note in the nose.  Fortunately, the Verdejo and Viura take over on the palate to produce a clean fresh zesty white wine with surprising complexity and body for the price. … Read more

($20, Eric Solomon Selections):  Bierzo is an up and coming DO in the northwestern part of Spain where the Mencia grape reigns.  Made entirely from Mencia, this wine delivers a marvelous combination of earth, herbs and fruit, supported nicely by moderate tannins.… Read more

($23, Eric Solomon Selections):  This family-run winery makes consistently impressive Albariño.  Their 2009 is no exception.  They achieve a hint of roundness to this otherwise edgy wine by aging it on the lees for four months.  It’s a classy wine with considerable body without sacrificing the quintessential zippy character of Albariño.… Read more

($45, Eric Solomon Selections):  With Alvaro Palacios in Priorat and Rioja, Ricardo Palacios in Bierzo, and now with Rafael in Valdeorras, a DO in northwestern Spain, the Palacios family is one of the locomotives that continues to pull Spanish wine onto the world’s stage. … Read more