Spanish Small Wonders Case

Barbara Requejo Frutos is making waves in the Cebreros subregion of Gredos. This deceptively pale garnacha delivers surprising power and complexity. Aromas and flavours of resinous herbs are woven through vibrant red fruit, strawberry, burnt orange, and red cherry, accented by white-pepper spice and subtly woody tannins from fermentation and ageing in foudre. The result is a very fine, lively, and expressive wine.

Rubén Díaz of the Viñadores de Gredos is firmly part of the artisanal movement in Sierra de Gredos. His path into winemaking began almost by accident, sparked by curiosity after someone attempted to buy planting rights in one of his family’s vineyards. That moment led him to explore the region more deeply, where he quickly fell for the character of the old garnacha vines and began focusing on small, site-specific micro-vinifications across this mountainous landscape where garnacha thrives. Working organically and alongside animals in the vineyards, Escalera comes from a tiny high-altitude plot at around 1,000 metres. In the glass, it has a deep purple hue and a distinctly mineral profile, with rich, vibrant notes of pomegranate and plum. Around 12–13 days of maceration lend fine but firm, almost nebbiolo-like tannins, giving this fleshy garnacha wine both structure and energy. The result is vivid, complete, and beautifully knitted together.

Sandra Bravo is making some of the purest wines in the region right now. This blend of predominantly viura comes from a 100-year-old field blend with a few vines of calagrano, garnacha blanca and riojal interspersed between the vines. All the vines are dry-farmed and the vineyard is full of life and biodiversity, which is rare in the region. The oak is marginal having spent a short time in 500-litre barrels, but the fruit and flavours are plentiful, with lemon preserve, quince, chamomile and a salty, mineral-like reduction which makes it very moreish. A serious, and stylish white Rioja.

A stunning, terroir-driven fine sparkling wine from the Alella appellation, located just north of Barcelona and apart from the better-known Penedès region. A blend of pansa blanca (xarel-lo), chardonnay and pinot noir, it shows impressive tension, with subtle red-fruit notes from the pinot alongside citrus fruit and salinity, layered with hints of white peach and honey. Light yet complex, it’s an incredibly charming wine, very much a fine wine in its own right, and a compelling discovery within the often underrated world of cava. The distinctive bottle shape and the name 'Laietà' pay tribute to the ancient Laietan people who once inhabited this coastal area, with the form itself echoing Roman amphorae, a nod to the history and individuality of this unique corner of the Cava appellation.

Sandra Bravo, originally from Priorat and who therefore knows how to handle garnacha has produced a lively fruit-forward expression of the grape that perfectly captures the lift and luminosity of these cool climate, mountain vineyards. Aged in 300 litre clay amphoras the 2024 is wild and aromatic with fine tannins and plenty of energy. A stunning, super-fresh, modern site-driven Rioja and among the very few in the region to be fully certified organic and biodynamic. Bright red cherry and raspberry with a snap of thyme and violet on the nose. The palate is polished and quite electric with pomegranate and redcurrant cut by fresh acidity. Fine, silky tannins - this is an excellent example of high-altitude Rioja garnacha.

The nose opens with a fragrant burst of wild violets and crushed raspberries, underpinned by an earthy, slate-like minerality typical of the Alavesa limestone. Remarkably fluid and bright on the palate; crunchy redcurrant and plum flavours are framed by fine-grained, chalky tannins. Certified biodynamic by Demeter, their vineyard work is almost homeopathic with compost and their vine treatments all made in house. The recycle and treat wastewater as well as all non-vineyard waste (the vineyards are all farmed without irrigation) ferment with native yeasts, and use very lightweight bottles. And they encourage cover crops between alternate rows of vines in their 18 vineyard sites, with native plants spontaneously growing, including wild garlic, all while trying not to compact soils.