Best New Releases from Spain

Spanish wines remain red-hot in the U.S. market, and not just the established stars of Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Wine lovers are seeking out everything from the penetrating, minerally albarinos from Spain's cool, damp northwest corner to the superripe, roasted wines of Priorato-bottles that can make even ripe-year Chateauneuf du Pape seem wimpy. The following tasting notes covering my favorite new releases from Spain feature a host of wines new to the U.S. market, including many impressively rich reds vinified for early appeal.

Note that although the majority of Spain's best reds still come from Rioja and Ribera del Duero, these regions are underrepresented on the following pages. The reason for this is that last September I visited dozens of top estates in Rioja and Ribera del Duero, and many of the finished wines I tasted then-and reported on in Issue 87-were not released until this year. Accordingly, I have provided a list of the top wines noted in Issue 87 for recent subscribers; most of these wines are still the current release in the U.S. marketplace, but because of their high quality many of these bottles are scarce and will require a special search. As always, I have provided ranges, rather than precise scores, for wines not yet in bottle.