Intense red cherry colour, clean and bright. It displays intense notes to ripe fruit and spicy touches, well integrated with the oak ageing. Tasty, rounded in mouth with an intense and long aftertaste. From the family's first winery, established in Rioja in 1889, to their opening of their ultra-modern winery in 1985, Bodegas Valdemar have always been innovators in the region. All of their wines are made from estate-grown grapes and they have become renowned for their modern, attractive style of wines which have become a benchmark for the region.

Contino was founded in 1973 as the first Chateau in Rioja on the 62 hectare estate in Rioja Alavesa. The name "Contino" refers to the officer in charge of the one hundred soldiers who looked after the royal family continuously, or "de contino". Grapes are carefully handpicked from the best microplots within the estate, with particular attention towards the characteristics of the soil and the characters they impart on the wines produced. The resulting blend of 86% Tempranillo, 6% Mazuelo, 6% Graciano and 2% Garnacha is exceptionally harmonious, with aromas of fresh dark fruits, along with spicy, toasty, notes of cedar and black pepper. This is a rich, flavour-packed wine full of complexity, with all of its components seamlessly integrated.

Altos R, a boutique winery in the heart of the best terroir in Rioja, achieve an excellent balance of traditional vineyard methods combined with the latest developments in technology, allowing them to create a great range of unique modern wines. Their Crianza style (aged for at least two years) Tempranillo offers a powerful and complex nose, with notes of fresh fruits, spices, balsamic and toasted oak all perfectly integrated. The palate is structured, round, and balanced, making it an ideal companion to red meats or an assortment of cheeses.

It definitely pays not to believe every cliché that you hear, although there is more than a bit of truth to some. This is especially the case with the truism that is 'Spanish lover'. Quite obvious is the love and devotion paid to the vineyards in Ribera del Deuro by José Moro, resulting in this truly exotic and flavoursome red wine. A 100% Tempranillo that was created with expertise and dedication, the result of which is an intense and full-bodied wine that contains flavours of chocolate and raspberry along with a hint of vanillin oak.

Castillo Ygay Tempranillo from the famed Rioja region in Spain was one of the stars of the show at the recent Dan Murphy's Wines of the World Expo! Complex roasted chestnut/mocha/dark berry/leather fruit with superb richness, underlying savoury nuances and ripe chocolaty tannins. Although matured for 31 months in American oak, the oak and fruit integration is sublime.

Cedar, touches of tobacco and glac cherry on the nose. The palate is gentle and medium bodied, very savoury, showing dark cherries, vanilla, black olives and nuttiness. A classy wine.

Spanish big guns, Remírez de Ganuza have produced a quite sublime old vine Tempranillo blend from the famed Rioja region that will defy all expectations. A luscious aroma of asian spicies and black fruits greet the nose before unfurling into flavours of dark berry fruit, cigar box, mushroom and blood plum. Brilliantly structured with life in front of it that will stretch with ease to 2025. If you're looking for a taste of Spanish royalty, start here.

There are minuscule volumes produced of the Cirsion by Bodegas Roda (the name of the thistle which is Roda's logo) which is made from grapes specially selected for the suppleness of the tannins they deliver. Parcels selected are from low-yielding older Tempranillo vines of 45 years and more, from four vineyards. Choosing the plants with the softest tannins, this makes the wine very attractive and supple early on, but it still has great ageing potential.