In recent years, the wines of DO Almansa have been on everyone’s lips, metaphorically and literally. The wines have fanned the passion of those who already knew the charms of the region, and are gaining new admirers with every glass.
2016 is proving to be a great year. The wines have won award after award across a range of national and international competitions. The most recent vintage is highly promising and has tantalized the palates of those who have tried it.
Bodegas Piqueras achieved three silver medals this summer in the highly regarded international competition Mundus Vini 2016. The prize-winning wines were: Castillo de Almansa Crianza, Castillo de Almansa Reserva and Valcanto Syrah.
And in the 2016 Sakura Japan Women’s Wine Awards a gold medal was awarded to Valcanto Syrah 2012 and a silver to Castillo de Almansa Reserva 2011.
Bodegas Matamangos won the ‘gran oro’ (‘top gold’) medal, the highest recognition of merit at CIVAS (Concurso Internacional de Vinos Akatavino Sumilleres de España – the Akatavino International Wine Competition for Spanish Sommeliers), with MataMangos Calx included among the top wines overall.
This wine has also been elevated to the victors’ rostrum of the Guía del Vino Cotidiano 2016-2017 as one of the best wines in Spain.
Bodega Santa Cruz de Alpera won the ‘Manojo de Bronce’ (‘Bunch of Bronze’) prize in the Young Whites category of the ‘Premios Manojo’ (‘Bunch Prizes’) at the National Wine Competition in Tordesillas.
In addition to the above, the 2016 and 2017 editions of Spain’s market-leading Peñín Guide awarded a score of 90 points to the winery’s Albarrobles Selección and Rupestre de Alpera wines.
Bodega Dehesa El Carrascal won prizes at the Gran Selección 2016 awards for the 2015 and 2014 vintages of Tudon’s as the best wine of distinguished quality in the red wine category, and also a gold medal at the Bacchus Wine International Competition, and among other honours the wine was awarded 90 points by the ‘GFW Wine Association’.
Several medals were won at the Gran Zarcillo (‘Great Tendril’) international competition by the winery’s Dulcemar wine and others.
Bodegas Tintoralba received various honours in the Gran Selección Awards Castilla La Mancha 2016, notably gold medals for the red Tintoralba 2015 and the sweet Tintoralba Dulce 2015 and silver medals for the white Tintoralba Blanco and red Tintoralba Selección Orgánica (‘Organic Selection’).
The 2015 Tintoralba Garnacha Tintorera and 2015 Tintoralba Roble were awarded silver medals at the Bacchus Wine International Competition, Spain’s leading wine competition.
Bodegas Cano’s 1860 Vendimia Seleccionada (‘selected harvest’) was a gold medal winner at the ‘Mono Vino’ Monovarietals Competition.
The 89 points awarded by the Guía Peñín 2016 edition are also a highlight.
Bodegas Almanseñas won silver with La Huella de Adaras 2013 and a much-coveted gold with Adaras Huella 2014 at Mundus Vini 2016, and the latter wine was also scored at 91 points in the Peñin Guide 2017. In the same current edition of the Peñin Guide the Adaras Calizo Garnacha Tintorera 2015 achieved a score of 90 points.
Hacienda El Espino is well-known for the quality of its ‘1707’ range of wines, which, as the ‘5 barricas’ website explains, pay homage to the countryside in which the vines are grown and the year of the historic battle fought there.
In the 2017 edition of the Peñín Guide, all the wines of Bodegas Atalaya are awarded scores of over 90 points. Specifically, Laya 2015 receives 90 points, Atalaya del Camino 2014 leaps in with 91 points, and the 92 points achieved by Alaya Tierra 2014 confirm its status as one of the best Garnacha Tintorera wines in the country.
As well as the above, Alaya Tierra 2011 was again ranked in the ‘Elección de Vivino: Top Wines of 2015’ list.
In the Guía de Vinos Monovarietales de España 2015 (‘Guide to Single Variety Wines of Spain’ 2015 edition), Bodegas Virgen del Belén was awarded 89 points for its Mirador de Almansa and 87 points for its Cañada de Belén wines.
Finally, Bodegas El Tanino has achieved sundry honours with its 1752 Tinto de Garnacha Tintorera 2011, notably a gold medal at Bacchus 2016 and a silver at Mundus Vini 2016, as well as achieving a score of 90 points in the 2017 Peñin Guide.
