The CWB Iberia-Off

A white Vinho Verde from Portugal’s Esporao and a red Rioja from Spain’s CVNE

For a classic Crisp-White-and-Big-Red combination from Iberia, Portugal’s Vinho Verde and Spain’s Rioja must be top contenders.

Portugal’s Vinho Verde ranges from light easy sippers grown near the coast to more complex, savoury and food-friendly versions from further inland. This example from Esporao is more complex and white-fruited than much Vinho Verde; unusually, it also benefits from extensive aeration.

The red Rioja from CVNE-owned Viña Real is mature now and drinks nicely without the need for time in the decanter, but can still be aged further and opens up with some air.

Quinta do Ameal Bico Amarelo Vinho Verde 2023, Vinho Verde, Portugal (£8.75 — Wine Society, Great Grog — £9.09, Noble Green Wines — £10.99, Macknade Fine Foods)

Winemaker: Mafalda Magalhães, Quinta do Ameal

They say:

A still, dry, crisp wine named after the blackbirds that fill the vineyards with their song. Exuberant aromas, fresh and light, dominated by citrus fruits and tropical notes. Palate is dominated by fresh acidity, with good body and lingering finish.

The 2023 viticultural year in the Vinho Verde region was marked by high precipitation and warm weather. Consequently, vineyard work was challenging with production levels slightly lower, resulting in deeper and more balanced ripening.

Represents the diversity of the region and its main grape varieties; fermented in stainless steel, temperature-controlled vats and aged on the lees

I say:

A more savoury, whiter-fruited take on Vinho Verde.

Loureiro, Alvarinho, Avesso blend

11.5%

pale gold; fresh citrus, topical fruits, honeysuckle and fresh green herbs; fresh and mineral with citrus, melon, orchard fruits and white stone fruit; saline and elegant with good structure and savoury underpinnings.

Good.

Match with butcher’s sausages or herby roast chicken.

Awards:

• Wine Enthusiast, Top 100 Best Buy (2019–2022)
• Wine & Spirits, 91 Pts (2019)
• Decanter, 90 Pts

Viña Real Reserva 2016, Rioja, Spain (£23.08 — D Byrne & Co, Tanners Wines)

Winemaker: Eva de Benito, Viña Real

They say:

A high percentage of Tempranillo fruit (90%) is the hallmark of the Viña Real style. Complex, rich and sophisticated, the vanilla from the oak is beautifully integrated into the raspberry fruit. Enjoy with Slow-Roasted Andalusian-Style Lamb and potatoes as well as mild creamy cheese or a punchy strong cheese.

The first Viña Real wines were launched in 1920. They were produced from grapes grown around Elciego in the heart of the Rioja Alavesa province and in which the personality, character and elegance of this region blend seamlessly with the balance achieved through perfect ageing.

Viña Real Reserva is made from our own grapes grown in Rioja Alavesa along with grapes from adjoining municipalities. The plots are small and some are terraced, dry farmed and with bush trained vines in excess of 30 years old. The soils are mostly chalky clay with little organic matter, low yielding and of different orientations.

This wine is made from hand harvested grapes coming from very high quality plots in Rioja Alavesa. The grapes were transferred by gravity, through the help of a crane, to stainless steel vats where they underwent a prefermentation cold maceration before the alcoholic fermentation started.

The wine was aged for 22 months in French and American oak barrels. Once bottled, it aged for another 18 months in our cellars where it gained roundness and complexity before being released to market.

The 2016 harvest was characterised by good weather and increased production expectations after a cycle marked by drought and high summer temperatures. Overall, the weather favoured a satisfactory growing season with the absence of significant diseases or insects, and which lead to the grapes being in excellent health until the harvest was completed.

I say:

Classic mature Rioja with excellent texture and plenty more aging potential.

90% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano

13.5%

ruby garnet; ripe, red berry fruits, dried canberries, toasty oak and aged complexity; ripe, dried red and dark berries, cassis, fresh cherry and plum, spicy toast, minty bergamot and some mushroomy old leather; sleek, polished, rounded tannins

Very Good.

Drinks nicely on first opening; opens up with aeration and can be cellared further.

Match with roast joint of lamb or darker game, such as venison, duck or wild salmon.

Others say:

Wine Searcher: 2016 CVNE Vina Real Reserva, Rioja DOCa, Spain | prices, reviews, stores & market trends