Fine wines

Fine Spanish wines available at Navarro's Spanish Restaurant, London

VINOS BLANCOS

ALBARINO DO FERREIRO "CEPAS VELLAS" 2004 (RIAS BAIXAS) (£26.00)

Aged for 12 months on its lees, this is a limited production curvee from very old vines. Densely packed and penetrating, with intense flavours of apples, pear and minerals. A complex , spicy wine with lovely dry finish. Perfect with seafood.

CASTILLO YGAY GRAN RESERVA 1985 (£39.00)

Deep burnished gold in colour. A spicy witch-hazel oak nosed with layers of coconut and toffee. The palate is full of spice, nuttiness and herbs. A mouth-filling wonder.

VINOS TINTOS

CERVOLES, CELLER DE CANTONELLA 2000 (COSTERS DEL SEGRE) (£29.00)

Tempranillo, Cabernet, Garnacha & Merlot. Intense, purple black wine full of black fruit flavours, char-grilled spice and chewy tannins. Long, lingering finish.

"1780", CASTELL DEL REMEI 2000 (COSTERS DEL SEGRE) (£32.50)

Cracking wine, powerful & complex, aromatic. Classic Cabernet tones of lead pencil supported by plummy fruit laced with peppery notes. Luscious, full bodied, smooth texture. R. Parker scored the wine as 91/100.

MARQUES DE RISCAL GRAN RESERVA 1993 (RIOJA) (£34.00)

It has a mature ruby colour of medium depth, offers sweet vanilla on the bouquet and is remarkably complex on the palate with gentle oak and extremely well balanced dried fruit, before giving a gentle but firm, long vinous finish. It is one of those reds that one is tempted to sip and sip not to gulp.

PESQUERA CRIANZA 1998 (RIBERA DEL DUERO) (£35.00)

100% Tinto Fino and aged in semi- new American oak. Dark and attractively perfumed, with harmonious combination of damson-like fruit and savoury oak, this is a great, mature example of one of Spain's most famous wines.

MARQUES DE GRINON, PETIT VERDOT 2002 (DOMINO DE VALDEPUSA) (£38.00)

It is very rare to find single varietal Petit Verdot. This is a superb example of what this grape is capable. A dense wine showing a nose of liquorice and raspberry fruit, with a nice smoky edge. The palate displays lush, raspberry laced fruit and chunky tannins. Hugely concentrated and massive. Possibly the finest straight Petit Verdot in the world.

LAUTUS GUELBENZU 1998 (NAVARRA) (£40.00)

Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon & Garnacha. Gold medal and Trophy at the London International Wine Challenge.

"Ruby-red. Complex nose melds blackcurrant, coffee, sexy oak tones and green pepper, with a hint of erotic fruits. Very concentrated, layered and sweet, but with solid underlying backbone. Really expands and lingers on the back end, which features big, chewy, tannins and excellent grip." - Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar

PAGO DE CARRAOVEJAS RESERVA 2001 (RIBERA DEL DUERO) (£45.00)

The winery and vineyard was founded in 1988 and are locate in the town of Panafiel. Pago de Carraovejas means "the place where the sheep walk by", a loose translation. They could have easily named it the place where fantastic wine is made. Only 10% of their wine is exported. 25% of the blend is Cabernet Sauvignon, the rest Tinto Fino. Bold, ripe and nuanced with notes of wild herbs, fresh berries and a judicious use of oak. Spectacular.

"904" GRAN RESERVA, LA RIOJA ALTA 2995 (RIOJA) (£50.00)

In a head-to-head of those two great Rioja vintages. I think 1995 is now starting to show even more promise than the 1994, although both are superb. Tope grapes (90% Tempranillo and 10% Mazuelo) are matured for five years in American oak and then rested in bottle for another two years before release. An absolute gem, still relatively youthful.

"EMERITUS" MARQUES DE GRINON 2000 (DOMINO DE VALDEPUSA) (£57.00)

The winery's super-cuvee, made from the estates most select Cabernet, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Intense, elegant and velvety, with markedly integrated ripe fruit and berry flavours. Very stylish, and lingers memorably. Showing beautifully at present.

ALION 2000 (RIBERA DEL DUERO) (£60.00)

"Produced by Vega Sicilia's owners. Alion's 2000 Ribera del Duero is a beautifully rich offering that was aged 13 months in French oak prior to bottling. A gorgeous perfume of expresso roast, smoked herbs, roasted meat and black currant liqueur is followed by rich, full-bodied flavours, a velvety texture, and a long, luscious finish." - R. Parker scored the wine as 92/100 points

VEGA SICILIA "VALBUENA" 1997 (RIBERA DEL DUERO) (£95.00)

80% Tinto Fino, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot & Malbec. Those lots of Vega Sicilia which are of high quality but not suited to extra long ageing are selected for Valbuena. The 1997 has a deep black colour with purple tints. The bouquet is elegant and complex , maintaining perfect harmony between the fruit and the wood. On the palate it makes a full, rich, satisfying mouthful with a very long finish.

CASTILLO YGAY GRAN RESERVA 1978 (RIOJA) (£120.00)

74% Tempanillo, 10% Garnacha, 12% Mazuelo and 4% Graciano. Bottled in February 1986, after nearly 7 years in American oak. Pronounced, orangey garnet, with a mature, dried fruit, pruney / oaky nose; palate: rich and generous, with suggestions of red fruits and admirably balanced oak; long and satisfying with very little tannin.

MAS LA PLANA 1981, TORRES (PENEDES) (£135.00)

Without doubt Spain's finest Cabernet Sauvignon. Its reputation began some 30 odd years ago, when the 1970 beat everyone (incl. Ch Latour, Lafite etc.) to win the Paris Wine Olympiad. It continues to be a sensation. The 1981 is actually a Torres family favourite. It is a polished mix of plum, blackberries, dark chocolate & cigar box. A perfect match for game and meat dishes.

AURUS 1996, ALLENDE (RIOJA) (£161.00)

Tempranillo with a small proportion of Graciano. This is Allende's super cuvee, and in fact they believe the '96 to be the greatest wine they have ever made. So ripe and rich it's almost sweet, with blueberry, blackberry and chocolate flavours this over ripe tannins. The Wine Spectator scored the wine as 94/100.

VEGA SICILIA "UNICO" 1985 (RIBERA DEL DUERO) (£240.00)

Tempranillo, Cabernet, Merlot & Malbec. Spain's most prestigoous wine estate, was founded in 1864 by Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves, and Unico is its greatest wine. It has a wide range of hints such as coffee, tobacco, lactic and fruit which are reminiscent of compote. Very well structured, opulent, complex and powerful. It has all the elegance of an aged wine, but maintain the liveliness of youth. Generous and complex. One of the world's great wines.

L'ERMITA 1997, ALVARO PALACIOS (PRIORATO) (£270.00)

80% Garnacha, 10% Carinena & 10% Cabernet. The Garnacha is from 100 year old vines from a single vineyard producing some of the lowest yields in Spain. They create a wine of intense concentration, ripeness fruit and depth. Arguably the finest individual red in Spain. Unbelievably good! The Wine Spectator scored the wine as 96/100.