Upon much deliberation, our overall masked winner revealed a style and character that provided us with a fairly clear cut insight into the modern day advances of a region etched in history and tradition. Cosme Palacio consistently produces one of our favourite Riojas that always offers incredible value for money. Produced predominantly from Tempranillo grown in cool, relatively high altitude sites, this is modern Rioja that's bright and ready to go thanks to a touch of bottle age. It's medium bodied with fine tannins and juicy in the mouth. Black fruits dominate the flavour profile with some delicate cedar and earthy notes adding complexity to a delicious example from this much loved region.

Medium to deep purple red colour. Red and blueberries on the nose with subtle oak aromas. Medium bodied. Elegant palate with an abundance of berry flavours. Fine tannins. Drink now and over the next three years.

Deep cherry red, young and vibrant with bluish tones that denote its youth. Red and black fruit in the nose with resinous notes and hints of spice. Fruity and rounded with great balance on the palate.

Crafted in typical Mr Mick style, this wine has subtle French oak, smooth tannins, distinctive varietal characters of strawberries and red cherries, a hint of spice and a long lingering finish.

Kings of Prohibition Tempranillo is complex with delicious flavours of cherry and plum with fine seductive velvety tannins.

This Tempranillo from the renowned Rioja region offers a delicate touch of oak, savoury flavours and light tannins. Vibrant in style and softly structured, it is a fantastic food wine.

This one starts with a deep crimson colour and only gets bolder from there. Running with Bulls Tempranillo has blueberries, black cherry and cocoa powder aromas and flavours of juicy redcurrants and blueberries. An easy drinking and versatile red blend to add to your favourites.

Made by famed Spanish producer, Martin Codax, who started producing wine in Rias Baixas before expanding into Bierzo, Ribera del Duero and Rioja. Musica En El Camino is fruitdriven, modern, easy drinking with a healthy dash of oak. This is foolproof Rioja.

Stephen Pannell continues to excel with his amazing array of intriguing varietals and blends, capturing significant attention amongst critics and consumers alike. He is without a doubt a name to keep an eye on! Leap into something a little different and unique here, with a blend that manages to capture the essence of the Iberian Peninsula, Spain. Bright and juicy with medium weight, a highly perfumed spectrum of plum and dark berry fruits meet exotic spice and scented florals. There's even a slight meaty character adding to the complexity and gentle savoury tannins round out the package. In a word, delicious! 'The cool, wet summer of 2010-11 has imparted peppery and vegetal aromas, while the palate is medium-bodied and slightly edgy, with some leanness and not a lot of flesh. Smooth, appealing current drinking. A nice take on Portuguese - style reds. Ready to drink now to 2020.' - 90/100. - Sydney Morning Herald, 04 Jun 2013, by Huon Hooke.