Best $50 Spanish Red Wine To Buy

Descendientes de Jose Palacios Corullon 2014 Winemaker Notes

Corullon is an assemblage from old-vine parcels in and around this town. Its combination of generosity and precision makes a case not only for Corullon’s special status, but also the superiority of Alvaro’s and Ricardo’s winemaking.

95 Points Critical Acclaimed by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Cropped from a cooler vintage and, therefore, with a cooler profile, the village red (vino de villa in the new classification from the 2017 vintage), the 2014 Corullon, felt like a more complete version of 2013, clearly a more Atlantic (cooler) year, with notes of violets, lilies and pomegranate, really expressive, open and aromatic, more focused, precise, clean and with a palate that follows that same line, plus the verticality and minerality added by the slate soils. Hands down, one of the best (if not the best) vintages of Corullon. Bravo! 12,700 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2016.

95 Points Critical Acclaimed by James Suckling

A Bierzo red with crushed raspberries, dried herbs such as rosemary and hints of pepper. Shows tension and complexity, firm tannins and a clean finish. Juicy, too. Powerful and provocative wine.

92 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Spectator

Smoky and woodsy notes frame tart cherry and licorice flavors in this focused red. The supple texture is supported by light tannins and firm acidity. Harmonious and expressive.

Hacienda Monasterio Ribera del Duero 2014 Winemaker Notes

The Hacienda Monasterio displays bright ruby red color with a nose of mineral aromas and lots of red fruit, with touches of undergrowth, cherries and a hint of licorice and barrel. The palate has a crisp, fresh and vinous entrance. In the mouth the wine is smooth and silky and the finish is fragrant with good fruit and great volume.

94 Points Critical Acclaimed by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

I got to taste the 2014 Crianza, which was fascinating to compare with the 2013. It’s 80% Tempranillo and 10% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and they have been reducing the amount of new oak to around 30% in this wine. The vineyard was planted in 1990, so the vines are ripe and getting its own personality; they saw that change happening at 18 years old. 2014 was a very good overall year in the zone, and the tannic structure is quite powerful, so it was very important to do a soft vinification to avoid extracting too much and get a balanced wine. It is very harmonious and the oak does not play an important role in the aromatics. The tannins always have that limestone texture that also adds a sapid character making it very tasty. This is a great year for the Crianza, and as I mentioned, it was fascinating to taste it next to the 2013, as both faithfully reflected the character of each vintage. It was bottled in June 2016.

90 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Spectator

Dark chocolate, forest floor and black olive notes give this red a savory character, while plum and licorice details and juicy acidity keep this lively. The plush texture leaves a clean finish. Drink now through 2024

Vall Llach Porrera de Vi de Vila Priorat 2013 Winemaker Notes

A tribute to a village, its townspeople and its indigenous old-vines, the Porrera Vi de Vila is a blend of 80% old-vine Carinena and 20% old-vine Garnacha. Black currant, balsamic, fresh almond and forest herb aromas lead to fleshy, tasty and expressive flavors with silky tannins and an interminable finish.

Blend: 72% Carinena, 28% Garnache

93 Points Critical Acclaimed by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Their village wine, the 2013 Porrera, also packs a bang with its routinely 15.5% alcohol and low acidity. It’s mostly Cariñena with 28% Garnacha from old slope vineyards on slate soils. The wine fermented in a mixture of oak barriques and stainless steel, and the Cariñena matured in brand new French barriques while the Garnacha was kept in larger, 1,500-liter oak foudres and terracotta amphora for some 14 months. It’s quite ripe, and slightly spirity, with aromas of macerated bark, fruit and plenty of spicy oak, but with some distant violets and something that reminded me of the aromatic profile of Touriga Nacional. The palate shows a lot more of the effect of the oaking, with abundant, dusty and slightly drying tannins, but there is nice fruit and good freshness underneath. This has a defined profile, so it’s aimed for people who like very ripe and powerful reds and are tolerant to oak. It will improve with time in bottle.

92 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Enthusiast

This aromatic Priorat is 72% Carignan and the rest Garnacha. Aromas of floral bath soap, cinnamon and cedar accent plum and berry scents. In the mouth, this is built like a tank. Spicy chocolaty black-plum and cassis flavors finish chewy and thick, with notes of mint and licorice. Drink through 2021.

91 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Spectator

Espresso and cola notes frame plum and currant fruit in this plush red. Solid tannins support the syrupy texture, while balsamic acidity keeps this lively. Ripe and rich, but remains balanced. Drink now through 2025.

Celler de l’Encastell Roquers de Porrera 2011 Winemaker Notes

The Roquers de Porrera has at its core the old vine fruit from Mas d’En Caçador with a small addition of fruit from Mas d’En Ferran. It is aged entirely in French oak.

92 Points Critical Acclaimed Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

Quite light colored for such torrid vintage, the 2011 Roquers de Porrera has aromas of tree bark and a mixture of red and black fruit with a spicy twist. It also has the earthy and balsamic character of the zone. The palate is medium to full-bodied with some flavors of cherries in liqueur and very balsamic flavors framed by dusty, slightly rustic tannins. It’s mostly Cariñena, the classic grape from the village of Porrera. 5,000 bottles

Familia Nin Ortiz Planetes de Nin 2011 Winemaker Notes

Planetes is a blend of Garnatxa Negra and Carinyena that is harvested by hand, partially destammed, fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in foudre. The freshness and brightness of Planetes is a testament to the relatively cooler, east-facing aspect of the site as well as the hands-off approach that Carles and Ester take in the cellar.

92 Points Critical Acclaimed by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

The 2011 Planetes de Nin is 70% Garnacha and the rest Carinena from the Partida Planetas, a vineyard in Porrera with slate soils. The grapes are destemmed and the wine aged for 18 months in foudre. The nose is full of lactic and red fruit notes with some cereal aromas thrown in and just a whiff of volatility. The palate is medium-bodied, with very good natural acidity (this is an east-facing vineyard) and freshness (almost citric, for sure red and not black fruit), with precise flavors, polished, sophisticated tannins, very good balance and length.

El Seque Alicante Tinto 2012 Winemaker Notes

Powerful balsamic notes, mature fruit, unctuous. A fleshy wine that satisfies the identity of the Monastrell variety from the old vineyards of El Seque.

91 Critical Acclaimed by Wine Enthusiast

This magenta-hued Monastrell opens with concentrated aromas of jammy wild berries, herbs and rubber. The palate feels fleshy and chunky, while herbal, earthy blackberry and plum flavors precede a full-force finish of herbal, briny and salty accents.

Anima Negra AN 2012 Winemaker Notes

Opaque garnet in color with ruby reflections, this wine offers wonderfully rich and layered aromas of damson fruit, crushed blackberries, leather, violets, smoke and spice. An is as sumptuous on the palate as it is in its bouquet, with mouth-filling texture and concentration of flavors. Made from the Callet grape variety.

Best enjoyed on special occasions, with slow cooked meals such as pot roast, BBQ, and hickory smoked ribs.

91 Points Critical Acclaimed by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

The 2012 AN, is mostly Callet with some 5% Mantonegro-Fogoneu aged in oak barrels for 18 months. The oak shows on the nose dominated by balsamic aromas of cigar ash, cedar wood, cinnamon and vanilla with hints of smoke and a core of red and black fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with plenty of tannins from the barrels giving it a harsh, slightly drying texture. It needs some time to calm down and settle in the bottle. I also sampled 2011 and 2012 feels fresher.

90 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Spectator

Smoky and herbal notes frame black cherry, licorice and espresso flavors in this savory red. Lively acidity and light, firm tannins give this a modest but balanced structure. A refreshing bitter finish lingers

Winemaker Notes

A vibrant and fruity wine, with soft and fresh tannins. It´s a wine full of power and authenticity.

91 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Spectator

Gentle but energetic, this red offers cherry and berry fruit. Fresh and juicy, with accents of herb, vanilla and mineral. Vibrant acidity imparts structure, along with light tannins. Graceful.

Bodegas Breca Brega 2014 Winemaker Notes

An honest wine that expresses the pure character of the original clones worldwide of the Garnacha grape. Calatayud is Spain’s highest altitude zone for the cultivation of Garnacha, and produces wines that are incredibly intense yet balanced with bright acidity due to the high altitudes. The diversity of soil types in Calatayud, ranging from limestone to iron-rich slate impart a phenomenal minerality to Brega.

91 Points Critical Acclaimed by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

There is a new top-of-the-range red Garnacha, the 2014 Brega, produced with grapes from extremely old vines. It started fermenting in 2,500-liter stainless-steel vats and finished in 500- and 600-liter oak barrels (40% of them new), where the wine matured for 20 months plus a further eight months in neural, well-seasoned 600-liter barrels. 1,000 meters altitude on slate soils. This has a whopping 16.1% alcohol! It’s heady, ripe and generously oaked, very smoky and a little meaty, with a slightly international profile as the ripeness and élevage made it a bit mainstream. The palate is full-bodied with abundant, dusty tannins and a dry, warm finish where the oak is still very noticeable, as is the alcohol. Give it more time in bottle. Very good in its oaky, end-of-the-1990s style. For fans of oaky reds. 6,240 bottles were filled in April 2017.