Bodegas Benetakoa has been quietly building a name for itself since 1985. Though the Martínez de Cañas family had long grown grapes for the region’s top names, it wasn’t until Carlos decided to strike out on his own that their full potential was bottled. Perched at the foot of the Sierra Cantabria mountains, their old-vine Tempranillo thrives in high-altitude vineyards, producing a Crianza that balances structure with pure, fruit-forward flair. It’s Rioja, but with a modern lens; elegant, expressive, and built to impress. From there we descend (or ascend, depending on how you view altitude) into Priorat, one of only two DOQ regions in all of Spain. Here, things get steeper, both literally and stylistically. Priorat’s famous llicorella soils (black slate, poor and rugged) force vines to dig deep and fight hard, yielding wines with intensity, soul, and serious structure.