2018 Vintage Report for Spain
Broadly speaking, Spanish DOs reported more generous yields which “should leave Spain in a strong competitive position”
Patricia Langton has released her 2018 Vintage Report for Spain, an annual report providing an overview of the wine industry’s performance. The report is handled by Wines From Spain’s London office.
She starts off by reviewing the weather, and 2018 stood out for being cooler than usual with significantly more rain. There were also more generous yields, with estimates reaching 48 million hl, which “should leave Spain in a strong competitive position.” In terms of quality, the best wines were came from those wineries that best managed their vines and carefully selected their grapes.
She goes on to provide a snapshot for each region and their respective DOs, starting with Galicia. In DO Monterrei, for example, there was a record harvest and first-rate Godello white wines are expected to be produced. In DO Bierzo, in Castile-León, production expanded by 26%, grape quality was outstanding, and the wines were more “Atlantic” in style. In the north of Spain, in DOCa Rioja, the area faced challenges such as humidity, rain and a mildew outbreak. There was, however, a generous harvest, a fresher wine style and lower alcohol levels.
DO Campo de Borja, in Aragon, had a record year. This was attributable to positive weather factors, i.e. there was no frost or hail, good weather in summer and plenty of rainfall. In DO Penedès, in Catalonia, the harvest was later than expected and generous, even though the area suffered from unpredictable weather. Moreover, the grapes ripened very well.
