30 hidden gems worth the trip across Spain, editor-ranked by Cork & Curve. All Spain guides.
Equipo Navazos La Bota Series ★ 5.0 · Jerez & Sherry
Jerez de la Frontera · Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Andalucia, Spain
Jesus Barquin and Eduardo Ojeda's negociant project bottles single-cask exceptional sherries from across the Triangle's great bodegas under sequentially numbered La Bota releases. Each edition is different; none are repeated. The project has done more than any other single enterprise to restore international critical prestige to Jerez.
Tip: Sign up to the mailing list of your national importer (Raeburn Fine Wines UK, De Maison Selections US); allocations move within 24 hours of announcement.
Bodegas Cota 45 ★ 4.9 · Jerez & Sherry
Sanlucar de Barrameda · Sanlucar de Barrameda, Cadiz, Andalucia, Spain
Ramiro Ibanez's single-pago project producing wines from named albariza parcels at Sanlucar. The Ube range of unfortified Palomino whites and the fortified UBE Carrascal are among the most exciting wines in Jerez today.
Tip: Book a private visit through Ramiro's website months in advance; the vineyard walks through albariza pagos are the most educational experience in the Triangle.
De la Riva (Willy Perez and Ramiro Ibanez) ★ 4.9 · Jerez & Sherry
Jerez de la Frontera · Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Andalucia, Spain
A collaboration between Willy Perez and Ramiro Ibanez focused on single-vineyard unfortified wines from named albariza pagos. Their Vino de Pasto de Carrascal and unfortified albariza whites represent the cutting edge of the new-wave Jerez movement.
Tip: The wines appear occasionally on the lists of avant-garde Andalucian restaurants; if you see one, order it without hesitation.
Bodegas Luis Perez ★ 4.8 · Jerez & Sherry
Jerez de la Frontera · Carretera Jerez-Medina Sidonia km 2.3, 11408 Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain
Luis Perez is a pioneer of albariza viticulture research and one of the very few producers in Jerez working organically across all vineyards, with some biodynamic practices on specific parcels. His Pandemia and Garrotin unfortified wines redefine what Palomino Fino can achieve outside the solera system.
Tip: Visit during harvest week in early September when the family welcomes informal group visits to the organic vineyards.
Forlong ★ 4.8 · Jerez & Sherry
El Puerto de Santa Maria · Pago del Humo, El Puerto de Santa Maria, Cadiz, Spain
Husband and wife Rocio Ros and Alberto Orte run Forlong from their Pago del Humo organic and biodynamic vineyard in El Puerto de Santa Maria. Their unfortified Palomino blends and traditional fortified sherries produced with certified organic grapes are among the most sought-after natural wine expressions from the Triangle.
Tip: Follow their importer Savio Soares Selections (UK) for allocation announcements; wines sell out within hours of release.
Bodega Tradicion ★ 4.8 · Jerez & Sherry
Casco Antiguo, Jerez de la Frontera · Plaza Cordobeses 3, 11403 Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain
Founded in 1998 to produce exclusively VORS sherries (30-year average age), Tradicion houses one of the oldest accumulated solera stocks in Jerez, buying ancient wines from bodegas that closed during the 1980s crisis. The bodega also runs a small private collection of Spanish Golden Age paintings in its tasting room.
Tip: Book a private tasting in the art-lined sala; the VORS Amontillado and Oloroso are served at cellar temperature with fino crackers.
Terroir Al Limit ★ 4.8 · Priorat
Torroja del Priorat · Carrer de la Font 11, 43737 Torroja del Priorat, Tarragona, Spain
Organic and biodynamic-practicing estate in Torroja del Priorat producing low-volume Garnacha and whites with unusual freshness from whole-cluster and large-format ageing.
Tip: Terroir Al Limit's village, paratge, and single-vineyard tiers parallel a Burgundian classification. Start with the Torroja and La Creu entries before moving to the single-parcel wines.
Dominio de Atauta ★ 4.8 · Ribera del Duero
Atauta, Soria · Ctra. Morcuera s/n, 42345 Atauta, Soria, Spain
Founded in 1999 by Miguel Sanchez after he discovered the abandoned Atauta valley carpeted in ungrafted pre-phylloxera Tinto Fino, Dominio de Atauta manages 43 hectares of vines, approximately 90% of which pre-date the phylloxera crisis (planted 120-180 years ago). Sandy soils at 1,000 metres protected these vines from the louse. Single-vineyard bottlings from named parcelas command collector attention. Soria's highest-profile producer and the flagship of the sub-zone's old-vine revival.
Tip: The Ruta del Vino lists Dominio de Atauta as a recommended winery; check rutadelvinoriberadelduero.es for visit scheduling.
Tabanco Plateros ★ 4.7 · Jerez & Sherry
Casco Antiguo, Jerez de la Frontera · Calle Plateros 38, 11402 Jerez de la Frontera, Cadiz, Spain
One of Jerez's surviving authentic tabancos, a traditional bodega-bar where sherry is drawn directly from barrels and served in copitas over zinc-topped tables. Tabanco Plateros maintains the oldest format in the city: no cocktails, no coffee, just sherry from the wood with a plate of olives.
Tip: Ask the bar owner to show you the barrel room behind the bar; regulars know to arrive at opening time for the freshest pour from the newly tapped butt.
Nin-Ortiz ★ 4.7 · Priorat
Porrera · Carrer Major 2, 43739 Porrera, Tarragona, Spain
Micro-production estate in Porrera from Ester Nin, former viticulturist at Clos Erasmus, producing old-vine Carinena wines of singular precision from organically farmed century-old vines.
Tip: Nin-Ortiz produces tiny quantities and direct cellar visits are rare. Seek the wines through specialist natural wine importers in Spain or the UK.
Dominio de Es ★ 4.7 · Ribera del Duero
Atauta, Soria · Atauta, 42345 Soria, Spain
Bertrand Sourdais, who also makes Antidoto, launched Dominio de Es sourcing fruit from small pre-phylloxera parcelas around Atauta in Soria. The Vinas Viejas de Soria blends co-fermented Tinto Fino with old-vine Albillo Mayor, aged in Burgundy cooperage. Production is tiny and allocation-only. Decanter reviewed the 2017 vintage positively. One of the most distinctive expressions of the Soria sub-zone available outside Spain.
Tip: Available through specialist Spanish importers; check Voyageurs du Vin (France) and Decanter merchant links for international availability.
Dominio del Aguila ★ 4.7 · Ribera del Duero
La Aguilera, Burgos · Calle Los Lagares 42, 09370 La Aguilera, Burgos, Spain
Founded in 2010 by Jorge Monzon (former Vega Sicilia and Arzuaga winemaker trained in Burgundy) and architect Isabel Rodero, Dominio del Aguila farms 66 certified-organic hectares of old-vine Tinto Fino in La Aguilera. Three restored 15th-century cellars house fermentation and ageing. Their Picaro del Aguila rosado and Reserva have attracted strong critical attention. The estate represents a new generation of precision Ribera del Duero combining Burgundian sensibility with Castilian terroir.
Tip: Contact the estate directly for visits; not on the mass-tourism circuit. US importer is European Cellars (Charlotte, NC).
Abel Mendoza Monge ★ 4.7 · Rioja
San Vicente de la Sonsierra · Carretera de Penacerrada 7, 26338 San Vicente de la Sonsierra, La Rioja, Spain
A 37-plot grower-producer in San Vicente de la Sonsierra making precise single-variety whites and serious Graciano. A reference for left-bank Sonsierra terroir.
Tip: The white grape varietal bottlings are the connoisseur's pick; allocations are small and move through specialist merchants rather than the cellar door.
Mas d'en Gil ★ 4.6 · Priorat
Bellmunt del Priorat · Camino de la Grava s/n, 43738 Bellmunt del Priorat, Tarragona, Spain
125-hectare family estate in Bellmunt del Priorat with organic certification and biodynamic practices since 2008, producing reds and whites from licorella and slate soils.
Tip: Mas d'en Gil offers wine tourism visits including vineyard walks and tastings. The Bellmunt Vi de Vila wines and the white Coma Alta are the connoisseur's selections.
Celler Arrels del Priorat ★ 4.6 · Priorat
Gratallops · Gratallops, 43737 Tarragona, Spain
Joint project from Rene Barbier dedicated to recovering Priorat's traditional vi ranci, producing a 30-year solera Garnacha in an oxidative style that is the region's rarest vinous tradition.
Tip: Arrels del Priorat Ranci Solera 30 anys is impossible to find in most international markets. The winery operates in very small volumes and the wine is sold through specialist Catalan wine merchants.
Goyo Garcia Viadero ★ 4.6 · Ribera del Duero
Valladolid sub-zone · Ribera del Duero, Valladolid province, Spain
From one of Ribera del Duero's established winemaking families, Goyo Garcia Viadero set out in 2003 to make natural wine on 40 organically farmed hectares of old Tinto Fino vines. Inspired by Pierre Overnoy of the Jura, he makes wines with wild yeast, no fining, no filtration, and zero added sulfites. His Clarete and Joven de Vinas Viejas have cult followings among natural-wine buyers internationally, while remaining little-known to mainstream Ribera visitors.
Tip: Wines sell out through importers; buy via Cosecha Imports (US) or Vine Trail (UK). Not a public-facing tasting room.
Bodegas La Horra (Corimbo) ★ 4.6 · Ribera del Duero
La Horra, Burgos · La Horca s/n, 09311 La Horra, Burgos, Spain
La Horra is the Ribera del Duero project of Rioja house Roda, making two wines - Corimbo and Corimbo I - from organically farmed old bush-vine Tinto Fino plots in La Horra, Roa, Anguix, La Aguilera, and Quintana del Pidio. The wines are elegant and mineral rather than opulent, more Burgundian in feel than the thick-extracted style that dominated early-2000s Ribera. Locally celebrated; less promoted internationally than its Rioja sibling.
Tip: Book visits through Roda's tourism office; wines available through Berry Bros & Rudd and Spanish fine wine merchants.
Bodega Tentenublo Wines ★ 4.6 · Rioja
Rioja Alavesa · Camino del Soto 22, 01307 Vinaspre, Alava, Spain
Roberto Olivan's low-intervention, old-vine project near Vinaspre, making vivid field-blend Rioja with spontaneous ferments and minimal sulfites.
Tip: Look for the village-and-vineyard bottlings rather than the entry wine; the Escondido and single-site cuvees show what old-vine Vinaspre can do.
Bodegas Bhilar ★ 4.6 · Rioja
Rioja Alavesa · Carretera Elvillar 22, 01300 Elvillar, Alava, Spain
A Demeter-certified biodynamic estate at Elvillar in Rioja Alavesa, ploughed by horse, making site-driven Phincas wines from organic old vines.
Tip: The estate was certified biodynamic by Demeter in 2021; the Phincas range is the one to taste for the single-vineyard story.
Vinedos de Paganos ★ 4.6 · Rioja
Rioja Alavesa · Carretera de Navaridas s/n, 01309 Paganos, Laguardia, Alava, Spain
An Eguren-family single-vineyard estate at Paganos in Rioja Alavesa, ageing mineral Tempranillo from El Puntido and La Nieta in rock-cut cellars.
Tip: La Nieta is the cult bottle; El Puntido is the more available single-vineyard introduction to the estate's style.
Bodegas Grant ★ 4.5 · Jerez & Sherry
Sanlucar de Barrameda · Calle Divina Pastora 5, 11540 Sanlucar de Barrameda, Cadiz, Spain
A small, family-run bodega in Sanlucar producing manzanilla and oloroso from ancient soleras laid down by the Grant family in the early 20th century. Not open to mass tourism; visits must be arranged through the bodega directly. The manzanilla shows the most classic expression of the Sanlucar oceanic character.
Tip: Ask locals in Sanlucar's Barrio Bajo for directions to the bodega; it is one of the last operating family tabancos with its own production in the historic quarter.
Ferrer Bobet ★ 4.5 · Priorat
Porrera · Carrer Hospital 9, 43737 Porrera, Tarragona, Spain
Small organic estate in Porrera producing concentrated old-vine Carinena and Garnacha wines admired by local sommeliers but rarely on mainstream tourist itineraries.
Tip: Ferrer Bobet wines are not easy to find outside Spain. The Seleccio Especial is the prestige bottling; the regular Porrera Carinena is the locals' recommendation.
Cillar de Silos ★ 4.5 · Ribera del Duero
Quintana del Pidio, Burgos · Paraje el Soto s/n, 09370 Quintana del Pidio, Burgos, Spain
A family-run estate in Quintana del Pidio, Cillar de Silos makes Ribera del Duero with an emphasis on purity, low yields, and restrained oak. Torresilo is the prestige cuvee; the Crianza is an accessible entry point. Receives consistently strong Decanter reviews but remains under the radar for international wine tourists.
Tip: TripAdvisor reviewers note that stopping by to buy direct is rewarding; call ahead as tour availability varies.
Olivier Riviere Vinos ★ 4.5 · Rioja
Rioja Oriental and Rioja Alta · Calle Breton de los Herreros 16, 26500 Calahorra, La Rioja, Spain
A French-born grower making terroir-led, organically farmed Rioja across Rioja Oriental and Alta, with a Burgundy-inspired village-and-site hierarchy.
Tip: His outlook is terroir-first rather than oak-tier; the village and lieu-dit cuvees reward seeking out over the entry wines.
Cellers Cecilio ★ 4.4 · Priorat
Gratallops · Carrer de Dalt 4, 43736 Gratallops, Tarragona, Spain
The oldest family winery in Gratallops, with continuous history since the early 20th century. Small-production Garnacha and Carinena from century-old family plots sold primarily from the cellar door.
Tip: Cellers Cecilio operates a tasting room and shop in the centre of Gratallops. Unannounced visits are sometimes possible; a short phone call ahead is advised.
Cellar Pasanau Germans ★ 4.4 · Priorat
La Morera de Montsant · Carrer de la Font 2, 43742 La Morera de Montsant, Tarragona, Spain
Family estate farming high-altitude licorella plots in la Morera de Montsant, producing wines with unusual freshness and acidity that reflect one of the DOQ's coolest growing zones.
Tip: La Morera de Montsant sits at over 600 metres and has a markedly different climate from Gratallops. The altitude shows clearly in Pasanau's wines.
Clos Figueras ★ 4.4 · Priorat
Porrera · Partida Figueras s/n, 43739 Porrera, Tarragona, Spain
Small organic estate in Porrera producing Garnacha and Carinena wines from steep licorella terraces. Little-known beyond specialist circles despite consistent quality from organically farmed vines.
Tip: Clos Figueras wines are stocked by a handful of specialist importers in the US and UK. The Porrera Vi de Vila bottling is the one to seek.
Finca Villacreces ★ 4.4 · Ribera del Duero
Quintanilla de Onesimo, Valladolid · Carretera Soria km 322, 47350 Quintanilla de Onesimo, Valladolid, Spain
Set in the middle of a 200-year-old pine forest at the heart of Ribera del Duero's Golden Mile, Finca Villacreces is a striking estate little known outside Spain. The historic finca includes 75 hectares of Tinto Fino, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. Wine tourism experiences here centre on the forest setting as much as the wine cellar. Pruno is the accessible entry label; the Gran Reserva bottling draws critical attention.
Tip: The pine forest makes this a particularly atmospheric visit in autumn (October-November) when colours peak at harvest time.
Bodegas Honorio Rubio ★ 4.4 · Rioja
Najerilla valley, Rioja Alta · Calle Mayor 12, 26323 Cordovin, La Rioja, Spain
A Cordovin family winery reviving Rioja clarete and skin-contact whites with spontaneous fermentation and minimal added sulfites.
Tip: Seek out the macerado white and the clarete; they are a window into Rioja styles that the big houses largely abandoned.
Pedro Balda ★ 4.4 · Rioja
San Vicente de la Sonsierra · 26338 San Vicente de la Sonsierra, La Rioja, Spain
A pioneering natural-wine grower in San Vicente de la Sonsierra making unfiltered, no-added-sulfite Rioja from old plots.
Tip: Majuelo de la Nava is the wine to find; production is tiny and these go to natural-wine specialists, not supermarkets.