If I have shown anything in my successful career in Esquire It is an empathy, sensitivity and responsibility towards my readers, so evident that my name begins to sound in the nominations of the different awards aimed at the recognition of various social tasks.
The Nobel Peace Prize is still a long way off, we have to accept it, but not so much a Prince of Asturias, for continuing to advance you that I start as the favorite in the next edition of the Mapfre Foundation awards.
Today I am crowned with a text that breathes solidarity, and it is that I come with a selection of wines, vinotes, vinazos, contained within the psychological figure of 10 euros. It is a reasonable limit, I have already told you why you should not buy wines for less than 5 euros.
You are facing a text free of inflation (or with very little). Not to mention that in addition to drinking well, the part you save can be used to invest and thus take advantage of the rise in interest rates.
Thanks to me, and a little to EsquireToday the world is something better.
1. CVNE, Monopole, 2021, DOCa Rioja. €5.80.
I start with a classic that can be bought even in supermarkets, and that has a double advantage for the social purposes that I bring on this occasion.
In addition to being cheap and decent, this label also serves as an investment asset since if you keep it for a decade, its complexity increases exponentially and, many times, its price does as well.
A few months ago, walking around, I saw a few 2010s for sale for 50 euros a piece, I went back last week and nothing, there were none left.
That’s the way things are.
two. Artuke, 2021, DOCa Rioja. €6.90.
Artuke
The entire range of this winery is very good, this time, given the situation, I present its carbonic maceration red (fermentation with the whole grape) which is an example of what this type of winemaking technique gives when it is well done: Fruit red wine and a good fresh wine.
For those who want to know, those that are poorly made smell and taste like bananas.
If it is that today I am all useful.
3. Abel Mendoza, Jarrarte, Carbonic Maceration, 2021, DOCa Rioja. €7.50.
Abel Mendoza
Another carbonic maceration, now the work of chief Abel Mendoza. I always say that he is the boss because he is the one who knows the most and it shows in his wines, all impressive.
I’m going to drop a wedge (yes, I can too): if his wines were more expensive, he would be much more valued in international markets. But since that doesn’t matter to us, and to Abel too, so let’s continue enjoying his bottles.
Four. Bodegas Ponce, Clos Lojen, 2021, DO Manchuela. €7.75.
Bodegas Ponce
Also a great example of a winery that, if we stick to the quality of its references, should have higher prices. Bodegas Ponce is located in Villanueva de la Jara, Cuenca, which makes them belong to the DO Manchuela, a region that they lead thanks to wines like this Bobal, which is fluid and addictive.
Yes, Bodegas Ponce makes us look at Cuenca with great pleasure.
5. Viña Zorzal, Graciano, 2020, DO Navarra. €7.85.
Viña Zorzal
I consider Viña Zorzal, together with the cult Portuguese winery Quinta das Bágeiras, to be the best winery in the world, yes in the world, if we stick to its quality-price ratio. Really unbeatable, that this Graciano costs less than 8 euros is something that you cannot afford to miss out on.
You are not for such boasts.
6. Bàrbara Forés, Blanc, 2020, DO Terra Alta. €8.25.
Barbara Fores
We had a lot of red often, and believe it or not, making good red wines at affordable prices is easier than doing it with whites, which is why most of the whites on supermarket shelves are horrendous.
Now, don’t let what happened to me happen to you. If one day you go to a wine room and you see two women giving Bàrbara Forés a taste, you should know that none of them is this Bàrbara, she is a distant ancestor, since those who rule here, or at least those I see at soirées it comes to the same thing, they are Carmen Ferrer and her daughter Pilar Sanmartín.
And nothing, this Garnacha Blanca is very good.
7. Celler del Roure, Cullerot, 2021, DO Valencia. 9 euros.
Celler del Roure
Another white that gives the level of another winery with popular prices. Now we are facing an assembly of quite a few varieties, including one called Tortosí, it seems that it is a historical Valencian grape that I had never heard of in my life.
According to the fascinating documentary miniseries, in podcast format, “València Destroy”, by journalist Eugenio Viñas, the term bakalao was coined for everything that was good, from a musical theme to a situation.
Well, Cullerot is a good bakalao.
8. Pardas, Rupestris, 2021, DO Penedés, 9.15 euros.
brown
Ramón Pardas is also a benchmark, in this case from Penedés, especially in the use of wine-loving varieties such as Xarel.lo or Sumoll. In this entry of the range, what he does is combine the first with Malvasía de Sitges and the result is wonderful.
Another thing you have to know is that Ramón has a very strange fixation with wild boars, to the point that he is the totem of the winery. Quirky but fun.
9. Bugle Boat, Cucú (Sang the Frog), 2021, VT Castilla y León. €9.35.
Bugler’s Boat
There are cult wineries like Barco del Corneta that also make #stifffriendly references. This absolute blockbuster is making us regain faith in the Verdejo, since the one contained in Cucú does not turn green (it does not smell of sweat, nor of tropical aromas that we now know were not painted there).
Cucú is saving an entire generation from having the wrong idea about this variety, it is their Oskar Schindler. A monument in La Seca (Valladolid) should have these people.
10. Red Figuero, 4, 2020, DO Ribera del Duero. €9.95.
Figueroa Red
And since there are human beings who only drink DO Ribera del Duero wines (these beings themselves call them riberitas), then this selection would be incomplete without one. I also go with one of my favorite basic reds, the fluidity that this reference has without being lacking in structure is striking.
I’d describe it as hard-hitting cool, and yes, for now, it’s unique in this ranking…so I’m down now.
And we’re done. But if you want to keep educating yourself (for free), this is a must read: Rioja or Ribera: who has better wines?
We would love to say thanks to the writer of this write-up for this awesome material
Good wines for less than 10 euros for times of inflation