Top 100 Wine Spectator Wine, $14.98
From the rugged, high-altitude slopes of Calatayud this Garnacha/Syrah blend has quietly become a standard-bearer for what authentic, hand-crafted Spanish wine can deliver without the premium price. In fact, it was named #65 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines, a staggering achievement when you consider that this bottle comes in at under $15.
“Las Pizarras” (named for the region’s dark, slate-rich soils) captures the natural drama of Calatayud’s landscape. The vineyards sit at elevations that would make many growers nervous, but here the altitude is the secret to the broad diurnal switch that ripens the Garnacha to vivid red-fruited generosity, and the rocky soils channel all of that intensity into a wine that tastes far more ambitious than its humble price suggests. The dash of Syrah deepens the structure, adds a subtle savory edge, and brings a polished, modern lift without sacrificing authenticity.
Ripe cherry, blackberry, lavender, cracked pepper, and a graphite mineral streak that speaks directly to the slate beneath the vines all jump from the glass. It’s rich without heaviness and wonderfully balanced for weeknight drinking or crowd-pleasing dinner parties. If you want a wine that over-delivers, this is the one; if you want a case buy that drinks like a much more expensive bottling, there is simply nothing else like it at this price.
“Las Pizarras” is one of the world’s greatest values, a wine that proves world-class character doesn’t need a luxury price tag. The critics have noticed, the list placement speaks for itself. You deserve a treat. Buy a case. There are thirty available in the state to me, and it won’t be returning any time soon after that.
#65 Wine Spectator Top 100 Wines of the Year
A fruit-forward red, loaded with ripe mulberry, boysenberry and plum fruit, with accompanying aromatics of rosemary, anise, graphite and peppercorn. Thick and creamy on the palate, with bright, blood orange–infused acidity and lightly chalky tannins firming the finish. Garnacha and Syrah. Drink now through 2030. 17,000 cases made, 3,000 cases imported.