Today is World Verdejo Day – a day to celebrate one of Spain’s great white grape varieties. Discover Verdejo’s versatility with top scoring styles from Rueda and beyond.
One of Spain’s most planted white grape varieties, Verdejo is indigenous to the Rueda DO in northern Spain, but is a unique variety grown across the nation.
Youthful Verdejo wines make for the perfect summer aperitif with herby citrus, stone fruit and tropical aromas balanced by mouth-watering acidity. Juicy and refreshing, this popular style of Verdejo is produced to be drunk young.
But the variety offers much more with oaked, oxidised, sweet and fortified styles showing versatility and potential, as evident from Decanter’s Spanish Verdejo panel tasting earlier this year and recently announced results from the Decanter World Wine Awards.
Scroll down to see award-winning Spanish Verdejo wines from DWWA 2022
Looking at Spanish Verdejo results from the 2022 competition, Rueda was awarded a majority of medals, but award-winning Verdejo wines can be found from Almansa, La Mancha, Cigales and Rioja to Castilla y Léon, Uclés and Valles de Benavente.
Tasted and rated blind by some of the world’s leading wine experts, the highest scoring Verdejo wine at DWWA 2022 was awarded a Value Platinum (97 points) to Asda’s Extra Special Palacio de Vivero Verdejo, Rueda 2021.
Offering exceptional quality for its price at just £5.50 a bottle, the judges commented on its intriguing citrus and tropical bouquet, bright and fresh palate, zesty acidity and lingering finish.
Exemplifying Verdejo’s versatility, the second highest scoring Verdejo wine was awarded to a more atypical, historical style for De Alberto’s fortified wine, Dorado Dulce NV. Awarded a Gold medal and 96 points, this wine is made in demijohns exposed to the sun, then aged in a solera with some residual sugar remaining.
De Alberto’s dry style, Dorado NV, was also awarded a Gold medal – both styles showing nutty and oxidative notes with saline characteristics and long, complex finishes.
With one Platinum, five Gold and 27 Silver medals awarded to Spanish Verdejo wines produced in a range of styles, below discover 13 top-scoring examples from the Decanter World Wine Awards to celebrate World Verdejo Day with.
DWWA 2022: Award-winning Spanish Verdejo wines
Youthful & Fresh
Asda, Extra Special Palacio de Vivero, Rueda 2021
Platinum (Value), 97 points
The intriguing bouquet mixes citrus, tropical fruit, melon and pear characters to great effect. It stays bright and fresh through the palate, the fruit lively and the texture enhances the pithy flavours and weighty mouthfeel. Zesty acidity runs its course and lingers on the long finish. Outstanding! Alc 13%
Bodega Cuatro Rayas, Cantarranas, Rueda 2021
Gold (Value), 95 points
Keen herbal, lemon, pear and floral notes burst deliciously through the nose onto the palate. Mineral, crunchy inflections to the finish and aftertaste. The concentration of flavour is up there too. A wine with a bright finish that a wide audience will enjoy — and such great value! Alc 13.1%
Altos de Ontañon, Rippa Dorii Organic, Rueda 2021
Silver, 92 points
This has delicious tropical and orchard fruit aromas and flavours, bright acidity and a long, citrusy finish. Good value. Alc 13.5%
Marqués de Riscal, Barón de Chirel Viñas Centenarias, Castilla y Léon 2020
Silver, 90 points
Delicate lemon and bay leaf nose. The palate is also delicate with fine citrus pith and lactic notes and a touch of salt and pepper at the end. Sophisticated stuff! Alc 13.5%
Pradorey, Castilla y Léon 2020
Silver, 90 points
Restrained apple nose. The palate has bolder grapefruit, chalk and green apple qualities. Very long, savoury, toasty finish. Poised and enjoyable. Alc 14%
Oaked & Oxidative
Diez Siglos, Barrel Fermented, Rueda 2020
Gold, 95 points
A very intense wine with magnificent nutty, herbaceous, creamy and spicy oak aromas, plus a whiff of lanolin. The palate is rounded and broad. Lots going on here with a very long, complex finish. Glorious, gastronomic stuff! You could easily lock it away for some time too. Alc 13%
Matarromera, Fermentado en Barrica, Rueda 2018
Gold, 95 points
An extremely juicy and vibrant style, this wine is laden with oak, yet the exotic fruit shines through: mango, banana, white cherries, cashew nuts, guava, kumquat and lavender on both the nose and palate. Lovely texture with a very long and complex finish. A top wine. Alc 13%
Bodegas Vidal Soblechero, Pagos de Villavendimia Finca Matea, Castilla y Léon 2013
Silver, 94 points
Dense and rich with apple aromatics. The palate has savoury and oxidative notes and a powdery texture; just the style that many will relish. Alc 13.5%
De Alberto, Pálido, Rueda NV
Silver, 92 points
A distinguished wine with a very intense balsamic and herbal nose and palate, fresh acidity and a really long finish. Alc 15%
Bodegas Naia, Náiades, Rueda 2018
Silver, 91 points
Pretty linden leaf and wood polish aromatics. The palate has a warmth and generosity, with lemon curd, beeswax and aloe flavours, finishing on a mildly spicy note. Alc 14%
Sweet & Fortified
De Alberto, Dorado Dulce, Rueda NV
Gold, 96 points
Impeccable wine with glorious scents of toast, honey, walnuts and toasted almonds. It’s extremely well-made with great length and purity of flavour and no shortage of complexity. It’s all very fresh in the mouth and finely composed with beautiful almond and saline character. Terrific wine! Alc 16%
De Alberto, Dorado, Rueda NV
Gold, 95 points
Like a refined amontillado sherry, this is extremely complex and nutty. In the mouth, it is bright and lively with an amazingly long and refreshing almondy finish. A highly expressive example with exceptional drive and purity and it invites the second glass in no unclear fashion. Alc 17%
Bodegas Otero, El Cubeto 113 Reserva de la Familia Otero, Valles de Benavente NV
Silver, 93 points
Golden brown and very expressive, this is an amazing liqueur style with warm alcohol and saline, marmalade and nutty flavours. Finishes lengthily. Alc 20%
Related articles
Spanish Verdejo: panel tasting results
Viñedo Singular panel tasting results
Best in Show: The top 50 wines of DWWA 2022
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