Ultimate Wine Challenge - Chairman's Trophy
97/100 - Ultimate Wine Challenge
Bronze - International Wine Challenge (2017 vintage)

6th Place '100 Best Wineries of the World' - World Association of Wine and Spirits Journalists - World Ranking

2nd Place ‘Best Wineries of Spain’ - World Association of Wine and Spirits Journalists - World Ranking

Most awarded winery in the world (2016) - World Association of Wine and Spirits Journalists - 200 medals and awards (2016)

Ranked among the top 10 wines from the Valdepenas region with respect to number of prizes won.

Gilbert & Gaillard - "The palate is light and harmonious, fruity and balanced, revealing good acidity and a measure of power. Classic and elegant in style."

Tastings (Independent Beverage Testing Institute) "Aromas of cacao, black raspberry, and chalkboard with a vibrant, bone-dry medium body and a relaxed stewed cherry and green banana finish with dusty tannins and moderate oak flavour."

Ultimate Wine Challange "Delicate and nuanced on the nose; captivating aromas of fresh green herbs, brambly blackberries, cigar box, and hibiscus rise from the glass. Rather fresh on the palate, bold fruit is balanced by dried autumn leaves and toasty earth."

Winemaker "The wine comes directly from tempranillo grapes that are picked and harvested by hand. The wine then undergoes a long period of aging in oak barrels. Red ruby colour with purple reflections; aromas of fruit with balsamic hits; flavours of sweet fruit."

Vina Albali is the largest winery in Valdepenas in Spain. The winery is owned by the Solis family who produces wines in partnership with over 1,000 family-run wineries across 3,500 hectares in La Rioja. The multi-estate approach allows winemakers to access different vineyards and take advantage of the different ripening cycles and grape varieties in the regions to create their award-winning wines.

The World Ranking of Wines and Spirits (WRWS) gave Felix Solis sixth place in the top 100 Best Wineries of the World and second place in the category ‘Best Wineries of Spain’. These accolades add too many already received making Félix Solís Avantis the most awarded winery in the world with 200 medals and awards. The data collected in the WRWS includes medals obtained in 2016 from prestigious competitions as Berliner Wein Trophy, Mundus Vini, Decanter and the International Wine Challenge.

For the creation of the World Ranking of Wines & Spirits, the prestigious association of wine journalists uses data from national and international competitions whose results are public and the score of each winery is established based on the significance of each contest and the importance of the medals awarded.

In 2020 wines produced by the Solís family won 37 medals in the internationally recognised German wine competition, Mundus Vini including 21 gold and 16 silver awards. Among the awards was 'Best of Show', and 'Best wine red wine from Spain for Food'.

Valdepenas is a historic wine-growing area in central Spain located surrounded by the more well known La Mancha. Valdepenas ('Valley of Rocks') takes its name from the ancient city of the same name that lies in a sunbaked river valley dotted with small rocky formations. Valdepenas had a flourishing wine trade in the 19th Century until it was struck by phylloxera. The area was then replanted with the hardy Airen variety.

The region's climate is semi-arid and strongly continental. Soils are largely limestone, sandy loam and clay, with the high lime content helping to retain good moisture retention – vital for grape growing in these hot and dry conditions. The light-red wines upon which the reputation of Valdepenas was founded are slowly giving way to more-serious reds, both aged and unaged. The best examples are velvety soft with bright red fruit flavours. Oak-aged Crianzas, Reservas and Gran Reservas can all be found. While reds dominate production in Valdepenas and are renowned, some white wines are made using Airén, Chardonnay, Macabeo, Moscatel de Gran Menudo, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo. The production of sparkling and sweet wines is also permitted under the DO laws (which are governed by the local Consejo Regulador wine authority).

Tempranillo or Cencibe as it is known in Spain is a red grape variety which forms the backbone of some of the finest wines from Spain and Portugal. Almost every red wine from Rioja and Ribera del Duero has Tempranillo at its core, and in Portugal, the variety is widely used in the Douro Valley.

Tempranillo is the best-known variety in Spain due to its ability to produce a wide range of styles – ranging from young, easy-to-drink wines to more serious examples which respond well to barrel maturation. If you love the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon but the fruitiness of Grenache then you’ll love Tempranillo. Tempranillo is a big wine with high tannin that buddies up to any piece of rich meat. This grape is hugely popular around the world but its true homeland is on the Iberian Peninsula.

Vina Albali

Notify me when available