The Vast Bounty of Central Spain

BY JOSH RAYNOLDS | FEBRUARY 09, 2021

Central Spain really does offer something for every wine lover, from easy-drinking, inexpensive bottlings to some of the country’s most famous, sought-after and pricey vinous offerings. Most serious wine drinkers have long been familiar with Central Spain’s most esteemed regions, particularly Ribera del Duero and also Toro and Rueda, which are where most of the region’s best wines are produced, but up-and-coming areas like Campo de Borja, Vinos de Madrid, Carineña and Calatayud are producing an increasing number of serious wines, with prices still lagging behind quality. This truly is a happy hunting for intrepid consumers. The sheer amount of wine coming from here makes for a lengthy shopping list.

The central sector of Ribera del Duero, near Roa, is home to some of the region's top bodegas, including Alonso del Yerro.

Ribera del Duero

A number of Spain’s legendary bodegas are based here, including Vega Sicilia and Dominio de Pingus, whose wines, in many ways, transcend the region for their fame and pricing. But for every one of those, there are numerous producers making outstanding wines that sell for a fraction of the price, often in large quantity and with good distribution. Tempranillo is king here, and compared to Rioja, the expression of the variety is generally deeper, richer, more tannic and dark-fruited in style and often with higher alcohol levels as well as oak presence. Even modest offerings can reward a little patience, including those raised exclusively in stainless steel. Many producers designate their oaked, early-release wines as “Roble” (Spanish for oak). Here’s where things can get a little tricky, as the juice used sometimes isn’t up to the wood impact and can show exaggerated vanilla and coconut character. Traditionally, a large number of bodegas relied heavily or exclusively on American oak for aging, which gave the wines a distinct coconut quality, but French oak is much more the norm these days, which is welcome news for those who prefer a less obvious oak influence in their Tempranillo.

Toro

Situated north and west of Ribera del Duero, Toro is a hotter area, and the wines, also made almost entirely of Tempranillo, often referred to as Tinta de Toro (some labels use this moniker), show even deeper, darker character and often carry alcohol levels approaching or even passing 16%. The best bodegas have managed to tame the beast and are producing wines that are as balanced and elegant as the best examples from Ribera del Duero, but that power will always be there. A typical Toro is a brawny wine and will stand up to the richest, most strongly flavored and seasoned food with ease. Pricing here also tends to be gentler, and what the wines may lack in polish they can usually make up for in heft and flavor intensity.

Rueda

This DO, which covers over 16,000 hectares, produces an ocean of white wine, based on or exclusively Verdejo. While most of it is purely commercial, even industrial in style, and made from extremely high yields, a handful of serious bodegas make wines that are among the best whites Spain has to offer. While Sauvignon Blanc established a foothold here in the 1980s, most high-quality Rueda is 100% Verdejo, a fact often noted on the front, back or small strip labels. The vast majority of these wines are raised in stainless steel tanks and bottled early to preserve freshness. With rare exception, the wines are meant to be drunk young, although a couple of years of age is usually acceptable. The more ambitious bottlings are made from old bush-vine plantings, many of them near or over 100 years old, often fermented and aged in oak barrels, with lees contact, and they can be highly complex, textured and age-worthy. These wines are usually made in small quantity and represent a literal drop in the Rueda bucket (or swimming pool) but nonetheless, they are more than worth looking for.