The appreciated oenological tradition that Spain has makes it difficult to make a list of the best vintages of wines, as it is practically impossible to do so without leaving out some renowned wines.
To the fact that we have truly sensational Denominations of Origin, we must add that the competitiveness of Spanish wine places it at the top of the world , as the worthy fruit of a winery tradition with ancient origin.
If wine is your passion and you treat each bottle as the delicious jewel it represents when it comes to pleasing the palate, knowing the best vintages of Spanish wines will be among your priorities .
As for me, I will be happy to show you the most famous ones, based on their Denomination of Origin, to walk on safe ground.
Index
The vintages and their valuations
Since the Denominations of Origin saw the light, in 1932, the constitution of their Regulatory Councils was ordered , in charge of evaluating the vintages of the Spanish wines of each of the Denominations.
Perhaps you are thinking that such evaluations are subjective and you do not lack reason.
In addition, you will soon see that denominations often do not value specific years, so it is common to have an Excellent or Very Good vintage, a circumstance that means that the consumer questions the fidelity of such assessments .
However, and in all fairness, we have to recognize that the climate and the tasks carried out by the wineries make the level of Spanish harvests exceed year after year.
How are the evaluations of the vintages of the wines?
The main factors on which the Regulatory Councils rely to assess the vintages are the weather, the yields of the vineyard and the diseases suffered by the vineyards during the year, to which must be added the tasting of young wines to arrive at a determination of the quality of wine of the year in question.
As an example, we can refer to the Ribera de Duero vintages, which are a wonderful guide to understand the evaluations made by the Regulatory Councils.
Ribera del Duero of pure strain. From the hand of the Hermanos Pérez Pascuas wineries comes a young wine with 12 months of aging in oak barrels.
An unparalleled balance with the wood that allows you to enjoy one hundred percent of the Ribera del Duero and that is full of unparalleled sensations of ripe fruit, roasted and balsamic touches and spicy notes, all on a mineral background.
The best vintages of La Rioja also serve as our guide and we are not wrong in stating that these evaluations are correct in most cases, since in La Rioja the year 2001 is a historical milestone in relation to the impressive quality of the wines.
This fact is supported by the fact that in 2018 the Bikandi from Bodegas Viña Olabarri, a wine from that 2001 vintage, was named the best wine in the world.
Bikandi 2001. Author Wine from the best vintage from La Rioja. The living example of why the 2001 vintage is the best from Rioja. A long and lively wine, pleasant silky. A true spectacle for the senses that must be tested at some point in life.
Sobreño, one of the best Toro wines from an impressive vintage. A wine characterized by the elegance of the nuances of the best vintages of wine aged in wood. On the nose, it has a great load of fruit and on the palate, it has the power that characterizes Toro wines, but with a friendly entry.
The year 2007 was considered excellent in Rueda, which is why Robet Parker has rated the white Verdejo Rueda wines with more points , one of the winners being the Bodega Félix Lorenzo Cachazo.
Tables of the best vintages of Spanish wines (according to DO)
The tables that follow will help you to know the evaluations of the vintages that have been made by the Denominations of Origin from 2003 to 2016 .
These tables will be a useful guide for you when ordering your oenological treasures online , although it would not hurt if you choose wines of different appellations with different vintages to make your own assessment.
Your best toasts are yet to come!
