Finca Mónica Reserva 2017 – Wines from Spain Award Winner 2022

The UK has long been one of the biggest export markets for Rioja wines so we are delighted to announce that the new 2017 vintage of Finca Mónica D.O.Ca Rioja Reserva has been selected as one of the top 100 Spanish wines in the Wines from Spain Awards in London. 

Quality Stamp of Approval

The Wines from Spain competition returned this year after a two-year break due to Covid-19. It is the “quality stamp of approval” for trade customers and consumers, aiming to celebrate the ‘ultimate’ Spanish wine list with unique finds, rare gems, and new-to-market propositions for the UK trade and press.

Organised by the Spanish Embassy Economic & Commercial Office, ICEX Expaña Exportacion e Inversiones, the wines are selected through blind tastings by a team of expert judges who go on to pick the top 100 wines of the competition. In this eighth edition of the event, competition chair Tim Atkin MW commented, “I never need an excuse to taste some of Spain’s best wines!

Alongside Tim Atkin MW, the illustrious panel of judges included six other Masters of Wine and wine buyers from major retailers including the Co-op, the Wine Society and restaurants such as the Barrafina group.

In the recently published Wine from Spain Awards Guide, Tim Atkin mentions that the competition is all about taste. There are no quotas that judges have to meet, meaning that the results are completely neutral when it comes to the types of wine or regions represented. The 100 wines that were chosen in this edition represented 34 different wine regions, covering all of Spain. 

Events featuring the winners

As one of the winners,  2017 Finca Mónica D.O.Ca Rioja Reserva was featured in a trade and press tasting on 26 May at 67 Pall Mall in London. Because it is not currently represented in the UK, it will also appear as part of a free tasting area at the Wines from Spain Annual Tasting at Lindley Hall in London on Tuesday 28 June. This area will allow visitors to sample the award-winning wines that are not currently imported into the UK.

A worthy winner

Finca Mónica stands out for its quality/price ratio. These are fruit-driven, intense Tempranillo wines, made with grapes from vines of at least 30 years of age, grown at high altitude in winery-owned vineyards in the Monte Yerga area of the Rioja Oriental sub-region. Packed with particularly well-focused fruit, the range wins awards year after year in major international wine competitions. The packaging reflects the region’s classic heritage and transmits contemporary messaging about the importance of women’s work. Every year, Finca Mónica sponsors a WSET scholarship for a  young woman in the Spanish wine industry.

We’re honoured that Finca Mónica stood out to the judges at the Foods and Wines from Spain awards! If you’re interested in importing Finca Mónica into the UK or any other market, please feel free to contact us.