Rich, often rustic and local, Spain's wines – like its cuisine – are rooted in tradition.

Across the vast sun-drenched expanse, the country offers a wealth of wine from heavy reds to saline whites. Although Spain does indeed offer the cottage red perched next to a sharp slice of Manchego, it also offers wines of great complexity – and expense.

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The World's Best Spanish Wines

From Rias Baixas to Rioja – Spain is climbing the tables when it comes to pricey wine, however – unlike much of the wine world – without a Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir in sight.

The World's Most Expensive Spanish Wines on Wine-Searcher:

Teso La Monja 95 $1556

Comando G Rumbo al Norte Navarrevisca Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon 96 $1125

Descendientes de J. Palacios La Faraona 97 $1105

Dominio de Pingus Pingus 97 $1089

Alvaro Palacios L'Ermita Velles Vinyes 97 $1077

Sierra Cantabria Magico 96 $608

Dominio de Es La Diva 96 $556

Bodegas Rafael Palacios Sorte O Soro 95 $417

Dominio de Es La Mata 93 $412

Vatan Arena Tinta de Toro 95 $403

It is with a Tinto de Toro – or Tempranillo – in Toro where we kick off this year's most expensive Spanish wine.

The Teso La Monja from Sierra Cantabria and their Toro winery. The estate was founded in Rioja – where it is largely still based – in 1870, and has come to be recognized as one of the finest producers of Tempranillo.

The Teso La Monja is made from the grapes of ungrafted old pre-phylloxera vines, hand-picked by a team of 70 people, which are then fermented in an oak ovoid vat called Ovum.

Guia Penn has described it as having aromatic notes of roasted coffee, black fruit and smoked earth. With an aggregated critic score of 95 points, this smoking gun costs a cool $1556.

Number two is the Comando G Rumbo al Norte from the northwestern region of Castilla y Léon. Founded by friends, Daniel Landi and Fernando Garcia – who met while studying enology – Comando G specializes in Garnacha with much of it made from old vines.

The Rumbo al Norte is their fullest expression with rich dark fruit. Penin has described it as having herbaceous notes of balsamic, cherry and earth. All in all, the wine has an impressive aggregate of 96 points, all for a mere $1125.

Number three is the Descendientes de J. Palacios La Faraona from Bierzo also in Castilla y Léon. Bierzo is known for both its Mencia and Garnacha. In the case of Descendientes de J. Palacios, it is a Mencia we are looking at.

Founded in 1998, the estate is a collaboration between Alvaro Palacios – who made his name in Priorat – and his nephew Ricardo Perez Palacios. Alvaro – having already gained a fine reputation – has helped put Bierzo on the map for excellent wine.

The wines are made from low-yielding old bush vines, and the La Farona was described by Falstaff as having "flinty notes and cool minerality, paired with notes of cranberry, redcurrant and sour cherry, a salty note and a touch of pome fruit".

It has a phenomenal aggregated critic score of 97 points, however, it also comes in at $1105, making it not only the third most expensive Spanish wine, but easily the world's most expensive Mencia.

Number four is perennial favorite Dominio de Pingus's Pingus, Dominio de Pingus being one of the Ribero del Duero's most vaunted estates. First established in 1995, the winery quickly developed a stellar reputation after winning rapturous praise from Robert Parker and has never fallen out of favor.

Pure, unadulterated Tempranillo, the 2004 was described by Jeff Leve of The Wine Cellar Insider as "inky black in color... Crazy non-stop aromas of coffee bean, licorice, blackberry, blueberry, chocolate, black cherry jam, truffle, spice and smoke pop with little effort." With another impressive aggregated score of 97 points, the Pingus comes in at $1102.

In fifth place is the Alvaro Palacios L'Ermita Velles Vinyes. After spending time working in Pomerol's Petrus, Palacios established his Priorat winery in 1990, and L'Ermita – first produced in 1993 – is his crown jewel.

Pure old-vine Garnacha, L'Ermita has risen through the ranks to become one of Spain's most collectable wines à la Pingus. Penin described the 2020 as being complex with earthy notes of balsamic, red berry, bright cherry and spice. Again, boasting a superb score of 97, for $1077.

Number six is another from Sierra Cantabria, this time the Mágico. The wine is made from grapes grown in the small grafted vineyard, El Vardallo. With the first vintage released in 2010, the wine is a classic Rioja blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo and Graciano. Penin describes it has having those classic Riojan spiced notes of red cherry and herbs, with the wine scoring a brilliant aggegrate of 96 points, for a slightly more attainable $608.

Lucky number seven is the Dominio de Es La Diva with a score of 96 points. The Dominio de Es estate was founded by Bertrand Sourdais in 1999 when he discovered fields of ungrafted vines dating back pre-phylloxera in the Ribera del Duero.

Largely Tempranillo with a dash of Albillo Mayor, the 2017 vintage of La Diva was said by Falstaff to have a "concentrated dark forest berry fruit, raspberry and a fine spiciness. Mineral on the palate with ripe juicy acidity, fresh dark fruit and liquorice." All for $556.

Number eight is Bodegas Rafael Palacios Sorte O Soro – the first white to appear on this list. Rafael Palacios first began this project in Galicia's Bibei Valley.

The Sorte O Soro is made from vines that have grown in a single plot since 1978. The recipient of cooling breezes, the old Godello vines that grow here produce limited yields of excellent quality. The estate uses traditional methods while following biodynamic principles. The resulting wine has an aggregated score of 95 points, with Penin saying it has notes of sweet spice, oak, herbs and balsamic. For a comparatively moderate $417.

Number nine is another from Dominio de Es, this time their La Mata. Made from ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines in the Ribera del Duero, Penin describes it as having aromatic notes of coffee, smoke and red cherry. With an aggregated score of 93 points, this pure Tempranillo comes in at $412.

Last and – in this case – least is the Vatan Arena Tinta de Toro by Jorge Ordóñez. Jorge Ordóñez is one of the key champions of the Toro wine region, first visiting in 1991 to find valuable pre-phylloxera vines.

The Vatan Arena is a pure expression of some of Spain's oldest Tempranillo clones and has won widespread acclaim with Wine Enthusiast describing it as having "aromas of brambly fruits of the wood, bittersweet chocolate and hints of thyme, lavender and sage..."

Other critics agree, and the wine has amassed an aggregated score of 95 points, all for $403, bringing this year's most expensive Spanish wines to a close.

For much of the world's most expensive wines, it's a luxuriant sea of impossibly priced Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Spain, however, has held fast to their proud traditions of Tempranillo, Mencia and Garnacha, watching them slowly but surely join the heady ranks of the world's most expensive wines.

To view on Wine-Searcher, please click here.