Wine of the week — Spanish Wine Collective

Miguel Crunia, one of the Britain’s top sommeliers, writes about a unique artisanal wine aged under flor

We are delighted to publish a guest post by Miguel Crunia. Originally from A Coruña, Miguel now resides in Edinburgh where he co-directs Fìon, a wine merchant specialising in fine wines from emerging regions. Fìon also has a wine club and offers tastings, training and wine consultancy services.

in 2023 Miguel was ranked 14th among the 25 best sommeliers in the United Kingdom in the annual list published by Harpers. In 2024 he had risen to seventh in a ranking of the best 50.

Miguel blogs at Atlantic Sommelier.

Flor 2021 (Bodega Viñeron)

Varieties: Pedro Ximénez and Romé

ABV: 13%

€20.00 from Al Sur de Granada

The wine scene in Edinburgh couldn't be more thrillingly vibrant. It seems that it has finally caught up. Things were far different 12 years ago when I first set foot in Scotland, as despite the Scots being great wine drinkers, consumption was dominated by traditional styles, classical regions and well-established houses. How things have changed.

A new wave of talented young chefs and sommeliers have given birth to a host of gastro-driven restaurants and bars where wine is taken seriously. Wine lists have freshened up and are bursting with personality and interest as sommeliers seek to expose customers – in an unpretentious and engaging way – to their personal discoveries (mostly supporting the work of small growers from all over the world.

One such place is Montrose, a fine dining venue that features, on its ground floor, a fun and dynamic wine bar where you can grab a quick drink before having 'yer tea' upstairs, or linger a while at the bar, munch on some nibbles and enjoy a glass of wine, like this Flor 2021 by Samuel Párraga.

I have to admit that I was not aware of Samuel's work, and perhaps that's why the wine has made such a positive impact on me (and who doesn't like the thrill of a new discovery). Based in a warehouse in Coín (Málaga), Samuel started Bodega Viñerón to craft wines using vinification methods rescued from tradition, working in an artisanal and natural way with very small yields from a few hectares of vineyards that he leases between the provinces of Málaga and Granada.

There he works not only with native grape varieties such as Muscat or Pedro Ximénez (PX) but also with other forgotten or almost extinct varieties such as Montúa, Calona, Vijariega and Romé. Getting to this point has been an arduous task, and he has spent many an hour talking to older people so as to locate old vines whose owners, while no longer able to work their land, wished to maintain what was there. This passing of the baton has prevented the varietal wealth of the area (fruit of the co-plantation that was once the norm) from being lost.

Samuel crafts single vineyard wines so as not to destroy the essence of each plot. Furthermore, all his cuvées are made naturally and are proof that, if done with care and attention, this approach does not produce dirty or faulty wines but rather can give life to something very personal and unique. Like this Flor.

A blend of PX with Romé (the latter traditionally used to give an oomph of colour to the wines), the wine is made entirely in amphora, where it is aged for 18 months under the influence of a veil of flor. It opens with those nuanced characteristics of biological ageing (salted baked celeriac and dry shiitake), before giving way to a surprisingly varietal and expressive character once it has 'breathed' in the glass. Expect woodroof, fresh dates, sultanas, rose petals, and marzipan. The mouth is bone dry, glyceric and textural, yet with energy and a refreshing tension that transforms it into a truly fun glass of wine. Very smashable on its own, and super interesting as a food pairing if you're into that (try it with duck rillettes, pan-fried foie on toast, or even a Galician empanada filled with cod and raisins). Game changer.