Atkin rediscovers Alicante

01 Aug 2025 Atkin rediscovers Alicante

Renowned British wine critic Tim Atkin and his tasting team have just published the “Discover Spain” report, in which he reviews 945 Spanish wines from various regions that have captivated him. Not surprisingly, his article highlights “the winemaking scene in Spain is advancing at a dizzying pace, so we hope our work will help you discover the latest trends and the most interesting wines beyond the beaten path.”

And his selection is often quite unique, highlighting wines with modern origins and expressions, with Alicante ranking highly in his review and visit to the Spanish Levant.

Thus, he placed the “Fondillón Luis XIV 50 años” from Colección de Toneles Centenarios (Centennial Barrel Collection) on the podium in Spain as “Fortified Wine of the Year,” with 95 points.
Although the highest-rated winery with three wines was Pepe Mendoza, who won the best red wine with 95 points for “Casa Agrícola Monastrell-Giró-Alicante Bouschet 23”.

Among the white wines, the highlights were “Pureza ánfora 23” and “Arbui blanco 2023” from Bodegas Alejandro, both with 94 points; and “Casa Agrícola blanco”, “El Carro de la Mata 23” from Casa Balaguer, and “Les Freses 24”, all with 93 points.

The Villena winery “Casa Balaguer” and “Finca Collado” in Salinas, the Diano winery “Les Freses” and “Bodegas Alejandro” in Monovar also achieved a very compact catalog of top ratings with over 90 points. There’s also an interesting selection of reds, such as “Carabibas Monastrell 23” with 92 points, “Syrah 24” by Rafael Cañizares, “Camarillas 22” by Bodegas Pinoso, and other references from Bodegas Fuego Lento and Bocopa.

The report can be purchased here.