Aguila Shiraz 2012

Historically, Spain wasn't always the go-to country for affordable, fresh, good value wines, being hitherto known, on the whole, for more oaky styles but, for the past few years, it's made everyday wines something of an art form.

Grown at high altitude in the DO of Cariñena, the Syrah grapes give rise to a clean, vibrant wine with intense aromas of dark cherry, violets and freshly-made jam.

In vinous terms, Spain has traded sandals for Nike Airs; swapped Neil Diamond for Lily Allen; dispatched the Coronation Chicken in favour of beetroot foam; call it what you like, it changed, and we like it.

Bodegas Virgen del Águila is equipped with the latest technology and specialises in wines with an excellent price to quality ratio. It is a good example of ‘New Spain’ wines, which tend to be cleaner and fresher. The vineyards produce a full range of reds, whites and rosés in different styles and price levels and have won major prizes. Located in northern Spain, with vineyards at high-altitude, Bodegas Virgen del Águila is fortunate to have ideal growing conditions in a stunning natural environment, leading to excellent wines at reasonable prices.

Producer Felipe Mendoza studied Oenology and Agricultural Engineering at the Catholic University in Santiago de Chile and completed his studies in Piacenza, Italy. He worked for several years in Santa Rita, a renowned winery in Chile and also in some others in California and Italy.

After crushing and de-stemming, the grape macerates for six days and fermentation takes place at controlled temperature in stainless steel tanks with several rackings per day. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is decanted, clarified and stabilised before finally being filtered and bottled.

Dark cherry in colour, with violet hues, Aguila Syrah has intense aromas of ripe jammy fruits, with liquorice and violets. Firm, balanced and fresh, with a persistent, fruity finish this is a reliable all-rounder that could be served on its own or with Mediterranean fare.