The last October edition of prestigious US magazine Wine Spectator devotes its central report to a selection of 250 wines considered “Great Values”, both in terms of quality, since they all hold over 85 points under the magazine’s ranking system; and price, since none of them oversteps the $ 20 mark. The selection includes 16 Spanish wines from 9 different appellations.
Under the headline “250 Great Values”, Kim Marcus, the publication’s managing editor, has taken what he refers to as a “snapshot of the wine world, a highly focus and narrowly filtered selection of a universe of options that seems to expand by the day”. The critic’s aim was to offer a list of wines that can be drunk at any time, without having to wait for a special occasion. He selected these wine because they “deliver quality, affordability, availability and diversity”.
Marcus set the selection threshold at 85 points, which in Wine Spectator rating is the equivalent to “very good or better” and has picked out 250 recently tasted wines, of which 39 are over 90 points. The selection’s average price is $ 12.71 and the average rating is 87.
The list of quality wines at good value includes 16 from Spain: nine reds, two rosés and five whites. Three of the reds are from QDO Rioja (‘Tempranillo Crianza 2004’ by Bodegas Ramón Bilbao, ‘Crianza 2003’ by Bodegas Montecillo and ‘Glorioso Crianza 2004’ by Bodegas Palacio), two from DO Bierzo (‘Pétalos 2005’ by Descendientes de J. Palacios and ‘Abad Dom Bueno 2003’ by Bodegas del Abad). With one wine each, the list also includes the appellations DO Campo de Borja (‘Tres Picos 2005’ by Bodegas Borsao), Jumilla (‘Mad Dogs & Englishman 2005’ by Bodegas y Viñedos de Murcia), Somontano (‘Mesache 2005’ by Bodegas Pirineos) and Navarra (‘Marco Real 2005’ by the bodega of the same name).
The two rosés, endorsed by this last appellation, are ‘Gran Feudo 2005’ by Bodegas Julián Chivite and ‘Red Guitar Old Vine’ by Bodegas ADA.
Finally, the five whites are split between DO Rueda (‘Basa 2005’ by Telmo Rodríguez and ‘Marqués de Riscal 2006’), DO Valdeorras (‘Viña Godeval 2006’ by the bodega of the same name), Rioja (‘White Barrel Fermented 2005’ by Bodegas Muga) and Rías Baixas (‘Aires de Arosa 2005’ by Avelino Vegas).
Of these wines, three are rated over 90 points: ‘Tres Picos 2005’, ‘Pétalos 2005’ and ‘Viña Godeval 2006’.
