Spain: North, including Navarra
2015: Gold 2 Silver 6 Bronze 3 Commended 6
2014: Gold 1 Silver 3 Bronze 3 Commended 3
Spain’s north takes in (with the greatest of respect to all the bodegueros therein) some of the less fashionable DOs in the country. But what Navarra, Campo de Borja, Calatayud, Cariñena and Somontano lack in box-office status, they can deliver in value for money. We’ve had some very well-priced Golds from here down the years.
2015’s competition, however, gave us something else, showcasing what the region can do at the upper end. The two Gold-Listed entries were magnificent wines, and though neither was exactly cheap, they were supported by a solid string of mid-priced Silvers.
Star Performer
Congratulations to Bodegas Chivite and Pago de Circus, which between them had an astonishing eight of this category’s 11 medals.
FOOTNOTE: Includes wines from Somontano, Campo de Borja, Calatayud & Cariñena.
From the Tasting Teams
‘The whites showed the great diversity of wines from the regions, but if you put these wines on a wine list you have to hand-sell anything that isn’t Rioja or a well-known name.’ Lukasz Walkowiak, Oxo Tower Restaurant
‘For the reds, there was more disappointment in the lower price-points than the higher ones – and the lower prices weren’t that low!’ Christophe Richelet, consultant sommelier
‘You can still recognise some of the old character, but can really see the new direction that Spain is going in, too. You can sell these precisely because they taste different from Rioja.’ Maria Rodriguez, consultant sommelier