Taste Test of the Week: Raig de Raïm - Cellers Piñol - Spain

The sunbeam

For a long time, the prejudice against Spanish wines was that they were heavy, slightly boring and with too much barrel character. Fortunately, this is only a prejudice and today a lot of quality wine is produced in Spain, but - perhaps because of the tarnished reputation, Spanish wines are often priced lower than wines of similar quality from surrounding countries.

Thus, Raig de Raïm (ray of sunshine in Catalan) from the Spanish Celler Piñol is a little gem that offers great value for money. It has received great words from Robert Parker who gives it 90 points and has selected it as Spain's "Best Value of the Year" for 2 years in a row.

When Raig de Raïm enters the glass, the first thing you notice is that it is dark, very dark. The initial aroma reveals lots of ripe fruit, with cherries and blackberries as the dominant ones, before ending with a faint finish of grapefruit that reveals that we are dealing with something that is far from what Spanish wine once was.

On the palate, the red fruits are again at the forefront, lots of ripe berries that fill the mouth with a velvety finish. The alcohol percentage is on the high end, at 14%, but Raig de Raïm does not feel heavy, more like full-bodied. There is a bit of tannin in the aftertaste, but typical of modern Spanish wines, they are kept short and lay a pleasant foundation for the finish that lingers in the mouth for a long time.

Overall, Raig de Raïm is a smooth and pleasant wine that offers great value for money. For this tasting we paired it with some good steaks, which was perfect, but it will go well with most dishes where spices or meat require a wine that can stand the distance.

Raig de Raïm from Celler Piñol is currently on sale for DKK 89 and can be ordered here.