Believe it or not, it’s easier than ever to buy great red blend wines without spending a fortune. Rather than hunting the best-known grape varieties, try such neglected Spanish red blend ones, like Vall Llach Embruix.
Check out these 9 Spanish red blend wine under $30!
Red Blends Wine from Priorat, Spain
Priorat is one of the stand-out Spanish wine regions, with an extraordinary leap in wine quality, reputation and price over the last decade or so. All Priorat red blend wines here are from $20 to $30 and earn at least 90+ points of good reviews. If you are looking for 94+ award winning red wines from Priorat, read previous post for 6 award winning red wines from Priorat!
Alvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat 2016, $21.90
Alvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat 2016 Winemaker Notes
Camins del Priorat offers full-bodied with rich, deeply concentrated black fruit flavors. Dark spices on the finish with some anise. Great for hearty meat dishes.
Blend: 40% Grenache, 30% Cinsault, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah
91 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Sometimes I simply ponder about the range of red wines that can be found in the marketplace. Often predictable like a Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, a Classified Bordeaux from the Medoc, or a Nebbiolo from Piedmont, one can pretty much expect focused flavors from those regions’ primary grape variety. Then there are blends—GSMs, “kitchen sink reds,” and cuvees that combine Rhone and Bordeaux varieties, as well as so many other possible variations. In the case of Priorat, one does not know exactly which grapes are in play here. The excellent 2016 Alvaro Palacios Camins del Priorat—a combination of Grenache, Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah—is another mixed bag. This wine exhibits a delicious mix of nuances (black fruits, sweet spices, savory notes) that simply make it a delicious red wine. Live in the moment and enjoy a full flavored red wine that is beautifully balanced. (Tasted: June 7, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
91 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine & Spirits
For this entry-point to the red wines of Priorat, Alvaro Palacios relies on garnacha and cariñena (70 percent of the blend), adding cabernet and syrah as well. The result is a delicious and fresh juice, so lively and crisp that it makes you want to ice down the bottle and pour it with charcuterie.
Vall Llach Embruix 2014, $27
Vall Llach Embruix 2014 Winemaker Notes
Immediately agreeable, but with a repertoire of powerful gustatory and olfactory refinements, this is a wine that satisfies both the connaisseur and the casual consumer.
Blend: 42% Garnache, 24% Carinena, 22% Merlot, 12% Syrah.
90 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Spectator
This plush red delivers ripe, generous flavors of black cherry, boysenberry, lilac and vanilla, supported by well-integrated tannins and fresh acidity. Harmonious and lively. Drink now through 2024.
WE90
90 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Enthusiast
Schist, cola, cassis, berry and tobacco aroma cover all the bases in this wine. It’s grippy and chewy but complete. Dark, earthy mulled berry flavors precede a tannic, pulpy finish with lasting plum and cassis notes.
Mas Doix Les Crestes 2015, $28
Mas Doix Les Crestes 2015 Winemaker Notes
On the nose it is very Priorat! Personality and authenticity. Since it is the young wine of Mas Doix cellar and apparently the simplest of their range, surprisingly it has a wonderful complexity, full of nuances. The highlight in aromas are the freshness but maturity at once (cherry liquor) with balsamic notes (mint) and red fruits. In general it has a fresh feeling. Also lots of Mediterranean herbs (rosemary, lavender). When you smell it again, its complexity keeps surprising you. In the background you can feel the sensual part of the wine, with a fresh floral remembrance (violets). As a good Priorat, it has earthy aromas so characteristic of this area. Hot slate, which leaves no doubt where this wine comes from. It is one of those wines that you would not stop smelling and thrilling. A piece of Priorat in the glass. In the mouth it could be described as silky and powerful. Fresh and smooth at first but warmer feelings come out the end. Medium bodied, it is a wine that stands out the purity of red fruits that gives the Grenache, very well combined with the freshness and balsamic bouquet that provides the Carignan. The warm part of the As vintage 2015 was quite warm and dry, this feature is balanced with this pleasant fresh fruit feeling, giving the crisp hint and meaty at once.
90 Points Critical Acclaimed by James Suckling
Slightly herbaceous and chemical nose showing a currant, cranberry and red-cherry character. Medium body, medium, slightly firm tannins and a medium, fruity finish.
Red Blends Wine from Rioja, Spain
All Rioja red blend wines are from $20 to $30 and earn at least 90+ points of good reviews. If you are looking for Tempranillo wines from Spain Under $30, please feel free to read previous post here,
La Antigua Clasico Reserva 2008, $24
La Antigua Clasico Reserva 2008 Winemaker Notes
Dark red. Blackberry, cherry-vanilla and pungent flowers on the fragrant nose and in the mouth. Lush, open-knit dark berry flavors become spicier with air, picking up notes of candied lavender and coconut. Supple and seamless on the clinging finish, which shows appealing sweetness and a hint of licorice.
It pairs well with braised, stewed beef, duck and other game, roasted meats and more.
94 Points Critical Acclaimed by James Suckling
Complex, layered and enticing nose of ripe strawberries, dried flowers and meat as well as porcini undertones. Full and velvety with ripe and soft tannins that follow through to a long, soft and slightly sweet finish. Harmonious and classy. Old-style. 65% Garnacha, 20% Tempranillo and some Graciano. Drink now.
90 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Spectator
This supple red offers dried cherry, tobacco, vanilla and toasted spice flavors in a graceful texture, with light tannins and orange peel acidity. Harmonious, in the traditional style.
Bodegas Franco-Espanolas Rioja Bordon Gran Reserva 2007, $26.99
Bodegas Franco-Espanolas Rioja Bordon Gran Reserva 2007 Winemaker Notes
Ruby-red color of medium-high intensity, with a nose that presents marked balsamic aromas and elegant tones of spice and tobacco leaf. Smoothness dominates in the mouth, adding elegance and maturity to its long finish.
Pair with red meat dishes, roasts, game, and rich-flavored cheeses.
92 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Spectator
Supple and polished, this red offers dried cherry, floral, vanilla and spicy flavors, fresh and lively. Light tannins and orange peel acidity keep this focused. Expressive and elegant, in the traditional style.
90 Points Critical Acclaimed by Wine Enthusiast
Earthy aromas of cola, coffee and saucy plum lead to a palate that at first seems loud and acidic but which comes around. Plum and berry flavors are accented by oaky vanilla and citrus peel, while this is bright on the finish due to lasting acidity.
Red Blends Wine From Other Region of Spain
Marques de Grinon Caliza Red Blend 2011, $20.99
Marques de Grinon Caliza Red Blend 2011 Winemaker Notes
Deep purple in color with ruby reflections, this wine shows alluring notes of blackberries and cassis with undertones of cinnamon and minerality. On the palate, it is beautifully full-bodied and silky with refreshing acidity and flavors that unfold into the long-lasting finish.
Pair this wine with Spanish-style sirloin, prime rib, rich terrines, or pisto manchego.
Blend: 70% Syrah and 30% Petit Verdot
91 Points Critical Acclaimed by James Suckling
Aromas of blueberry, blackberry and mineral follow through to full body, firm tannins and a clean finish. Very refined and silky.
Baron de Magana 2011, $27.99
Baron de Magana 2011 Winemaker Notes
A sensational effort, it boasts a dense ruby/purple color as well as abundant notes of blackberries, crème de cassis, camphor and flowers, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, tremendous lushness and purity, and a beautifully textured, round, generous finish. This sexy, supple wine should drink well for 3-5+ years.
91 Points Critical Acclaimed The Wine Advocate
The 2011 Baron De Magana is a blend of 35% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Tempranillo and Syrah aged in 70% new French oak for 14 months prior to bottling. The wine comes across as a Right Bank Pomerol from Bordeaux, with an opaque ruby/purple color, lush, sexy plum, black cherry and blackcurrant fruit, a touch of licorice and forest floor. It’s a layered, medium to full-bodied, pure, luscious and heady wine to drink over the next 5-7 years.
Bodegas Sierra Salinas Mira 2010, $30
Bodegas Sierra Salinas Mira 2010 Winemaker Notes
On an intense and deep red, it showcases a complex bouquet, with ripe fruit notes (blackberries, red plums) and elegant spices. Silky and delicate palate, as well as fleshy and opulent, but with a very present fruitiness. Lengthy and balanced.
93 Points Critical Acclaimed by James Suckling
Deep and concentrated nose featuring blackberry, blackcurrant and cherry character. Full and structured with concentrated and soft tannins and a medium, spicy and slightly bitter finish. Like the tar undertones.
Conde de San Cristobal 2014, $20.99
Conde de San Cristobal 2014 Winemaker Notes
The aroma is deep and complex, with lots of fresh, ripe, intense fruit, spice and mineral notes. The palate retains its fruit, shows broad, fresh, powerful, rich and very tasty.
Blend: 85% Tinto Fino, 7% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
90 Points Critical Acclaimed by The Wine Advocate
The 2014 Conde de San Cristóbal is a blend of 85% Tinto Fino, 7% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon produced with the help of winemaker Jorge Peique from Bierzo. The wine is quite classical, with nice balance and a mixture of fruit and spicy oak. The different grapes aged for periods of ten to 12 months in oak barrels.
Other Great Red Wines Under $20
If you wonder what are those great red wines under $20? Check out these posts:
- Spanish Grenache Red Wines Under $20
- Best Spanish Red Blend Wines Under $20
- 9 Spanish Good Cheap Red Wines Under $10
