Red international varieties in Spain

Some good options here for lovers of a full-on red with varietal flavour to the fore, though genuine Spanish character was generally lacking, our judges concluded

- REPORT BETH WILLARD

We gathered for this tasting on a Wednesday in late August. The weather couldn't make up its mind, with heavy downpours followed by periods of bright sunshine. The tasting was equally variable. This tasting had a few highlights but was generally a little disappointing. However, it should be noted that there are some excellent wines in this broad category that were not submitted: for instance, old-vine Cabernet Sauvignon from Navarra offers impressive ageing potential, and there are wines dotted around the coast which have a truly Mediterranean character.

The problem with many of the wines that we did have in this tasting was twofold: the unsuitability of the varieties to their chosen terroir, and the stylistic choices made by the producers. In particular, the Pinot Noirs were problematic, failing to achieve balance. Ageing regimes were also an issue. 'Too many wines were heavy, oaked and high in alcohol. This isn't what people [now] want to drink,' Andy Howard MW noted. Likewise, Matthew Forster MW felt that producers had misjudged the styles. 'Winemaking seems constrained by the international varieties, with winemakers thinking they need to use oak,' he explained. 'There was none of the freshness or purity that you see with Spanish indigenous grapes.'

The better wines were well crafted even if they lacked regional identity. 'Syrahs were the best of the bunch, with some quite appealing wines, but none struck me as particularly Spanish,' said Howard. 'It's the international character that comes through.'

In the end, we did find some well-made wines scoring 90 points and above, which offered both balance and concentration – worth buying if you are looking for good examples of these varieties. But, given that Spanish wines today are so thrilling, perhaps our expectations are set much higher. We look forward to tasting more of these wines in the future with a real focus on terroir and a little more Spanish flair.