Few people – even his many critics – would argue that Robert Parker, founder of the Wine Advocate, is not the world’s most influential wine commentator.  (In fact, it’s his pervasive influence that his critics bemoan most of all.) So when Parker says a wine is fit to be his own “house wine,” that’s no small endorsement.   And fortunately for Washington-area wine drinkers, just such a wine that typically sells for $16 to $20 a bottle (Parker has a bigger budget for “house wine” than most of us) is widely available around town, and on sale at several of our favorite wine shops.

The 2009 Volver from Bodegas Volver in the up-and-coming Spanish wine-making region of La Mancha (yes, the home of the fictional Don Quixote) is made from 100 percent tempranillo, the dominant grape in the renowned wines of Rioja, Spain. These particular tempranillo  grapes are from 50-year-old  vines, according to the importer, Jorge Ordonez of Grapes of Spain, who also brings us some of our absolute favorite value wines (see “A new contender for best $7 red wine ever?” and “Top 5 Spanish red wines”).