Mediterranean Spain: Diversity and Consistency

BY JOSH RAYNOLDS | APRIL 25, 2019 

The vast area that I’ve chosen to loosely define as Mediterranean Spain encompasses those regions that extend from northeastern Catalonia (Catalunya or Cataluña, as the area is known locally) to the country’s southeast corner and all the way west to Andalusia (Andalucía) on the far southwestern coast. With rare exception, these zones have been experiencing a run of almost uniformly very good to epic vintages, even as they produce wines of often dramatically divergent styles from equally disparate varieties.

Two thousand sixteen was a hot, droughty year across the Mediterranean zones, and resulting yields were on the historically low side. As a very general rule, the wines show a bit more freshness than their 2015 siblings, which are the result of a similarly hot vintage. Casting a wide net, I would say that wine lovers who prize elegance over power and weight will likely favor the ‘16s, but I suspect that the ‘15s will prove to be better cellar candidates, even if the wines don’t achieve the elegance of the younger vintage.

Priorat's high-altitide vineyards, such as those at Grattalops, produce wines of great depth and structure as well as elegance.

The Case for Cava

One exciting recent development for Spanish wine is the emergence of more and more world-class Cavas from the Penedès region (just south of Barcelona), whose sparkling wines have long been the country’s unchallenged standard-bearer for the category. It’s been a slow, steep climb for Cava in export markets, which were mostly introduced to the wines in the 1970s and 1980s by inexpensive examples of very low or abysmal quality. The reputation of the region suffered greatly, and even today there are numerous consumers and even members of the trade who judge the entire Cava category based on its lowest common denominator. That’s their loss, as there is an ever-increasing number of Cavas made by quality-minded, often artisanal producers whose wines bear comparison to the big dog of the bubbly world, Champagne. Fortunately for sparkling wine producers worldwide, the ever-accelerating price of decent Champagne (and even some not-so-decent) is pushing many consumers to consider alternatives for their fizzy fix, which plays right into Cava’s hand.

While there are numerous outstanding Cavas in the under-$20.00 category, the real action, in my opinion, is in the $20.00 to $40.00 category, where I see a range of serious wines that exhibit complexity, depth and balance and the ability to age gracefully. Most of these are made by small, family-owned bodegas, and while they may not be easy to track down, I think curious bubbly lovers will be thrilled by many of them, which, in a fair number of cases, bear comparison to Champagnes costing twice as much or even more. That said, many Cavas, especially those made from the local Xarel-lo, Parellada and Macabeo varieties, do tend to show a slightly more earthy tinge than most Champagnes and often more weight as well, with the exception of no-dosage, Extra Brut or Brut Nature examples. That extra bit of heft generally makes Cava extremely food-friendly, often more so than similarly priced or even more expensive Champagnes that are on the delicate, even dilute side and thus better suited to aperitif duty than serving at the table.