Best Spanish red wine 2024: top bottles from outside Rioja

For those seeking out the best Spanish red wines, some will begin and end their search with a bottle of Rioja. But Spain has so much more to offer red-wine lovers, whether it’s a noble, ageworthy example from nearby Ribera del Duero, a full-bodied beast from Priorat in Catalonia, or a fruit-driven red from Galicia, made with the excellent Mencía grape.

In fact, look across Spain and you’ll find an enviable selection of styles, from subtle, fruity reds all the way to big, tannic versions. Tempranillo, the main red grape grown in Rioja, is also used elsewhere in the country, but under various synonyms, including Cencibel, Tinta de Nava, Tinta Roriz, Aragones, and Tinta del País.

The top wine this year hails from Castilla y Leon. The 100% Tempranillo from Finca Sobreño impressed with its ‘complex and indulgent’ palate that revealed ‘rich notes of Christmas pudding, raisin and sweet spice, all framed beautifully by firm yet very well-judged tannins,’ and was awarded 97/100 and a Gold medal. Moving to Navarra, a red blend from Finca Albret scored a silver medal and wowed judges who remarked that it is a ‘powerful expressive red showing earthy chocolate and cigar box aromas’.

Vineyard in Ribiera del sacra, spain — Ribeira Sacra in northwest Spain

On the same score of 94 points was Bodegas Valdubón, Honoris 2021, which drew the judges’ praise for its ‘fruity palate with flavours of strawberry and crunchy red cherry’.

The judges in question included Ray O’Connor MW, Harriet Kininmonth, a buyer for The Wine Society, and Melania Battiston, wine director at London’s Cornus restaurant.

Spain has a host of treats for red-wine drinkers and if you venture beyond Rioja, you’ll be impressed with the diversity on offer. We’re proud to present the pick of Spanish reds outside Rioja, as chosen by this year’s IWSC judges.

priorat vineyard with red grapes being harvested — Harvest in action in Priorat, northern Spain

HOW DO WE JUDGE THESE WINES?

We run a tightly structured, rigorous wine tasting process. That means that each wine sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC wine judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the wine industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.

HOW DO WE SCORE THESE WINES?

Only the best wines sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, wines have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.

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