Spain

JS 98 James Suckling. Polished and structured with firm, very fine tannins. Lots going on here, with layers of black fruit, dried spices, graphite, coconut and cracked pepper. Full-bodied and so intense. Keeps going. Long. The tannins are so fine and so numerous. One of the greatest modern gran reservas. 85% tempranillo, 10% graciano and 5% mazuelo. Try in 2025. WE 96 Wine Enthusiast. Deep red-violet in the glass, this wine has a bouquet of cherry, black currant and juniper. Durable tannins coat the palate, bearing flavors of cassis, dark plums, dark chocolate and violet that lead into the spice-filled finish. RP 95 Robert Parker's Wine...

Rated 94 by Wine Advocate "The red 2018 Imperial Reserva keeps the brand profile of finesse, precision and power, produced with grapes that were picked between October 8th and 26th in a year like in the past—cold, rain and snow followed by a warm summer. It's a blend of Tempranillo and 15% Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha that were put through optical sorting and fermented in oak vats with a 20-day maceration. It matured in barrel for 24 months. It's 14% alcohol and has a pH of 3.57. It's a textbook Reserva from Haro, fine-tuning the grapes they use here trying to control the power of this cuvée, which has to be...

This is very powerful and rich with amazing depth of fruit and ripe tannins. Full body. Round and chewy tannins. Super depth and beauty in this pure tempranillo. Needs time in the cellar. Better after 2021. 97 points, James Suckling (Dec 2019). "CVNE has been on a roll lately, and this ace from a great vintage only helps to keep that roll going. Stout aromas of bramble, berry fruits, tobacco and fine oak are highly convincing, as is a muscled-up palate that's showing superb structure. Black-plum and cassis flavors are more up front delicious than complex, although further aging may flip the script. Best from 2023 onward. Michael...

Wine Advocate 92+. A new wine from the Viña Real winery, the 2020 Bakeder is a village red produced with Tempranillo grapes from Laguardia. It has contained oak and good ripeness at 13.95% alcohol, a more modern style of red that shows very young, quite fruit-driven and with a soft mouthfeel and velvety tannins. It has purity of fruit, elegance and finesse with respectful oak after 10 months in French barriques. There are some 30,000 bottles of this. It was first produced in 2019. LG Jul 2022.  

James Suckling 93 points. " High-toned, floral aromas with orange peel and crushed blackberries. Medium-bodied with tight, chewy tannins that are polished and intense. Serious length and focus. Very drinkable now, but even better in 2024."  

Wine Advocate 92 points. The 2017 Viña Real Reserva displays more advanced characteristics than the 2018 I tasted next to it. It has notes of forest floor intermixed with hints of fruit, berries in liqueur and some spices. 2017 was a very challenging year, and the wine is evolving at a faster pace. It's 13.9% alcohol and has a pH of 3.54, coming through as polished and ready to drink now. It's mostly Tempranillo with 10% other grapes—Graciano, Garnacha and Mazuelo. It matured in barrel for 18 months. 174,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2020. LG Jul 2022.

The 2021 Las Uvas de la Ira, produced and sold before by Dani Landi, is now a wine from Vitícola Mentridana under the direction of Curro Bareño, who takes over in this cool vintage. It was produced in the same way, from six vineyards in the village El Real De San Vicente, fermented separately and, depending on the vineyards, with shorter or longer macerations (longer in the vineyard they called El Fin del Mundo). Vinification has been like this since 2017, with contained extraction from the earlier-ripening vineyards and getting more grip from the slow-ripening places that have the rock and give the grip. It has contained...

Wine Advocate 92 points. The Monastrell red 2021 Depaula comes from vines at 700 meters in altitude on very poor soils, and sometimes the grapes don't ripen properly; but that was not the case in 2021, when the vines had enough water to ripen all the grapes thoroughly and produced a wine with very pure varietal character. It's fresh, balsamic and herbal, with a limestone core that delivers length and freshness coupled with a juicy Mediterranean character. Really good value. The wine has an incredible 12.5% alcohol. It's quite different from the 2020; they picked the grapes 15 days later than normal, and the grapes ripened...

This wine was launched into the limelight when Wine Advocate nominated the 2011 as Spain's best value wine. Since then it has continuously been keenly sought after by smart wine buyers all over the world. 92% Mencía, 5% Other red varieties, 3% Other White varieties. Wine Advocate 93+ Points   2021 is clearly the finest vintage of the trio of 2020, 2021 and 2022, and the bottled 2021 Pétalos delivers what the unbottled samples promised: a wine with lower alcohol than ever (13.5%), lighter, a little narrower but with the juiciness of Mencía that seems to come back after some time in bottle. It has lots of...

James Suckling 90 points. Edulis Crianza is a red wine from the Rioja developed by the Altanza winery. This winery, founded in 1998, is located in the town of Fuenmayor (Rioja Alta). Edulis Crianza is made from 100% Tempranillo. The grapes come from vineyards planted at an altitude of between 380 and 500m on clay-calcareous soils and ferrous clay. For maintenance and cultivation of vineyards, non-chemical herbicides or pesticides are used. Edulis Crianza development is carried out using a conventional winemaking. The alcoholic fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 28°C and lasts 12 to 15 days....

Wine Advocate 92 points. The 2019 Pruno has some unusual aromas reminiscent of pine needles, balsamic and faintly herbal with moderate alcohol (they harvested early in this warm year) and with very good balance and harmony. The aromas and flavors are pure and defined, and it's tasty, easy to drink and has very fine tannins. Among the finest Pruno of recent times. LG Jun 2021. #JAN

Wine Advocate 94+. The single-vineyard red 2020 A Ponte comes from vines planted in 2010 replicating the old varietal mix, going back to ancestral times with 30% Mencía and then equal parts of Caíño Redondo and Caíño Longo, Sousón, Brancellao and Merenzao. The soils are slate with iron, quartz and mica, and this plot has a southeast exposition. The vines are getting older, which shows in the structure, and the mix of varieties always gives it a different nose. There is good freshness, and the wine is expressive and open. It has fine-grained tannins. 4,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in February...

Wine Advocate 94+. Camiño Real was a path from Doade to Castro Candelas only suitable for horses, not for carriages, that was said to have been used by the kings, hence the name, which means "royal path." The 2019 Camiño Real is a red to close the gap between the young unoaked wine and the reds from the single vineyards. It was produced with grapes from old vines in Amandi combining orientations, altitudes and soils. It's around 80% Mencía and the rest local grapes intermixed in the old vineyards that are always field blends—Brancellao, Merenzao, Sousón, Caíño… It fermented...

Wine Advocate 94 points. The 2021 Camiño Real has a primary and ripe nose, despite the moderate 12.5% alcohol, but a structured and balanced palate, showcasing the old vines from Amandi, combining orientations, altitudes and soils. It's 80% Mencía and the rest local grapes, Brancellao, Merenzao, Sousón, Caíño… It fermented with some 60% full clusters and the rest uncrushed grapes with 45 days of maceration, and it matured in a combination of 500-liter oak barrels and 5,000-liter oak vats for 10 to 12 months. There's something ethereal about it, medium-bodied with very fine tannins, a constant...

Wine Advocate 97 points. The 2019 Finca Capeliños comes from a southwest-facing vineyard at 350 meters in altitude on schist soils, with nearly centenary vines with mixed varieties but dominated by Mencía. It fermented with 55% full clusters and a very long fermentations and a very soft vinification, almost like an infusion to try to not extract too much. For Pedro Guímaro, this is his favorite vineyard with a big varietal field blend. I love the restraint here; there's also great elegance and nuance, and it opened up faster than other 2019s. There is less fruit and more flowers, herbs and rocks here than in the...

Wine Advocate 92 points. The young red 2021 Vino Tinto is one of the first 2021 reds from Galicia that I taste from bottle. 2021 is supposed to be a return to the conditions of the vintages from yesteryear—cooler and with less ripeness, lower alcohol and more acidity but also viticultural challenges. This is always a sure value, and it is mostly Mencía with some 15% other local reds (Brancellao, Merenzao, Garnacha Tintorera, Mouratón, Negreda, Sousón, Caíño...) sourced from old vineyards. It is young and fermented in stainless steel and was kept in contact with the lees for four to eight months before...

Wine Advocate 91+. The young red 2022 Vino Tinto has notes of honey and beeswax, and it's juicy and velvety, with ripe flavors of berries and herbs, varietal and tasty. It has a moderate 12.5% alcohol. With 100,000 bottles produced, it represents half of the annual output of the winery. LG Nov 2023.  

Wine Advocate 94 points. There are two new reds from 2020 to compare the character of the wines from the Sil and the ones from the Miño. The one from the Miño is the 2020 Mundín, which is not slate, but granite. The wine was produced the same way as the San Pedro, fermented in oak vats with 40% full clusters and matured in a 3,000-liter oak foudre for 18 months. It has a little less alcohol and more freshness, and it feels a little lighter and not as showy but with great balance and subtleness. 3,500 bottles were produced. It was bottled in November 2022. LG Nov 2023.

Wine Advocate 92 points. One of the new wines this time was the 2019 Pedra, a blend of 80% Mencía and 20% other varieties. It matured in a granite egg that they feel opens the wines up quite a lot and 30% in oak to give it structure. It's fruit-driven, fresh and light with 13% alcohol from a very good vintage in the zone, not terribly complex and with a medium body and polished tannins. Ready. 1,000 bottles were filled in May 2023. LG Nov 2023.

Wine Advocate 92+. The 2020 Selección comes from a cooler year with enough rain and no stress in the vineyards, when they achieved a medium-bodied red with 14% alcohol and pH of 3.88. It is harmonious, balanced and elegant, with a medium-bodied palate and a velvety mouthfeel through its fine tannins. It reminds me of the classical reds from the zone before excess arrived. Classical Ribera with character, rusticity and elegance. 34,570 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2021. #MAY

Wine Advocate 94 points. The 2018 Viñas Viejas follows the path of the 2016, floral and elegant. It comes from old vines in the village of La Aguilera, and it fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in 500-liter oak barrels and eight months in concrete. The wine shows very good precision and definition and is clean, aromatic and elegant, with great balance. It has the profile and character of the wines from yesteryear. From this vintage onward, they only use larger barrels for the élevage, and the oak feels better and better integrated. A Ribera of grace. 23,223 bottles and 347 magnums produced. It was bottled in April...

Wine Advocate 94 points. The old-vine selection 2020 Viñas Viejas wants to express the soil over the variety, selecting the plots with grapes that have more flavors and acidity and produce wines with more character and length. The wine fermented in concrete and stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in 500-liter barrels for eight months followed by additional time in 2,500- and 5,000-liter concrete vats. It has a restrained 14% alcohol denoting a cooler year with more rain, and there is great harmony and balance on the palate—a wine of purity and finesse within the rustic style of the zone. It has a velvety mouthfeel...

Wine Advocate 95 points. I tasted again the 2015 Gran Reserva 904 Selección Especial, a blend of 90% Tempranillo from their vineyards in Villalba, Briñas and Rodezno, with 10% Graciano from the Montecillo Vineyard in Fuenmayor that was picked 23 days later than the Tempranillo that I had already tasted in mid-2022 before the wine was released. Time in bottle has done it some good, polishing the strong tannins that are the signature from 2015, though they are still not fully resolved, and a few more years in bottle will do it good. It's tasty, very classical, balanced and fresh. Impressive for such a powerful year. It was...

James Suckling 95 points.   Tasting Notes : Dark-cherry red with a garnet-red rim. High aromatic intensity, with outstanding notes of ripe red fruit, red berries, wild strawberries and plum jam, leading to tertiary aromas from meticulous aging in oak: vanilla, cedar, tobacco, coffee, caramel and sweet patisserie notes. In the mouth, its initial freshness and structure, typical of this brand, predominate. Balanced, with soft, flavoursome tannins. Elegant, complex finish, where the ripe red fruit and balsamic notes provide a splendid end. Varietal : Blend of 95% Tempranillo , 5% Graciano   #ALTA    

Wine Advocate 93 points. The 2021 La Xara is the latest bottled vintage of their pure Garnacha from a vineyard that benefited from the extra rain from the year and ripened slowly to perfection. They think they achieved more Garnacha typicity here but keeping the freshness and fluidity. It's only 12.5% alcohol and has a mellow 3.6 pH and five grams of acidity. The full clusters fermented in 4,500-liter oak vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in 600-liter barrel and 10,000-liter oak vats with the fine lees for seven months. This is austere and serious, with a reticent nose, contained ripeness and a sharp and mineral palate more in the...

Wine Advocate 93+. The estate red 2016 Reserva comes from a late growing season and was produced with local varieties like Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and others from their 86 hectares of vineyards at 590 to 805 meters in altitude on limestone, sandstone and marl soils. The grapes were picked late with good ripeness and health and fermented with natural yeasts in stainless steel and open-top oak vats and then matured in oak containers of different sizes for 20 to 21 months. These are more classical wines, with a more evolved nose, with high ripeness and some balsamic and medicinal notes. It has a dusty palate with Nebbiolo-like tannins....

Wine advocate 94+. Produced with grapes from suppliers, the 2018 Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Labastida comes from a cooler and wetter year not without challenge. A blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Graciano, it fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in barrels of different sizes and origins for 13 months. This is more reticent and serious, with a grainy sensation on the palate, beautifully textured. It has more austere tannins. This is probably the finest vintage for this wine so far. 2018 has produced many great wines. 87,200 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2020. LG Aug 2021. #NEW

Wine Advocate 94 points. "....In this cooler year, it has contained ripeness and moderate alcohol. This is more expressive and open, showing everything from the first moment. 2018 is a special year, cooler and with more rain, and the wines combine power with elegance. For Pablo Eguzkiza, the year is a little like 2013. It's medium-bodied with fine, abundant tannins, with plenty of fruit and a dry, chalky finish. 86,800 bottles produced. It was bottled between April and May 2020." LG Aug 2021. 

Wine Advocate 94 points. Their second wine in the Bordeaux sense is the 2018 Macán Clásico, which in the cooler and late year (they picked between October 2nd and 14th) fermented in stainless steel and matured in 50% new French oak barrels, 10% American oak barrel and 40% used ones for 12 months. The wine has moderate ripeness and alcohol (14%) in a fresher, subtler and more elegant year with good freshness (a pH of 3.75) and balance. It's young and creamy, a baby that will improve as it burns down that fat. Separating the press wine by quality and aging it separately seems to have increased the precision. It has to be...

From our vineyards in Rioja Alta (500 metres). Intense ruby red colour, with terracotta tones at the rim, due to having been in the barrel. Aromas of ripe fruit, good varietal and subtle expression toasted to fine oak standing out for its elegance, fineness, complexity and long finish . Its flavour is smooth and rounded on entry with very pleasant, velvety sensations. Its tannic structure is elegant and very well constituted, its aftertaste is noteworthy for its lasting finish. AGEING: 12 months in 70% French and 30% American barrels. VARIETY: 90% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo. SOIL: Middle zone. Altitude 500m....

Tim Atkin MW 91 points. Gold Medal, Brussels Concours Mondial 2022. Intense cherry colour, garnet rim. Intense aroma of candied fruit, sweet spices perfectly integrated with quality wood, making it elegant. Very tasty in the mouth, powerful and fruity, with ripe tannins. AGEING: 14 months in barrel. 70% French oak and 30% American oak. VARIETY: 100% Tempranillo. SOIL: High zone Altitude 830-950m. Clay- Calcareous soil with limestone. SERVING TEMPERATURE: 14 – 16o C.

Tim Atkin MW 91 points. Very deep bright, cherry-red colour. Very intense aroma with marked fruity sensations of blackberry and blueberries perfectly integrated with quality wood that envelops everything. Good structure and good fruity expression in the mouth, powerful, with ripe tannins. AGEING: 5 months in barrel. 50% French oak and 50% American oak. VARIETY: 100% Tempranillo. SOIL: Middle zone Altitude 800-830m. Sandy loam soils with pebbles. SERVING TEMPERATURE: 14 – 16o C.

Tim Atkin MW 95 points. Gold Medal, Brussels Concourse Mondial 2022.   Monteabellón Finca La Blanquera was created as a tribute to Fabián, the grandfather, who transmitted to his children and grandchildren the passion for viticulture. Finca La Blanquera is our vineyard located at a higher altitude with stony soil and high limestone content from which we obtain this unique wine. Very deep cherry colour. Powerful aroma, notes of blackberries in jam with elegant toasted tones. In the mouth it is meaty and velvety, with a long and persistent finish AGEING: 24 months in 100% French oak barrels VARIETY: 100%...

Wine Enthusiast 95 points. "Inky violet in color, this wine has aromas of blackberry, dark chocolate and lavender. Flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, mint and coffee bean mingle with plush tannins. As chocolate and mint fade, bright fruit takes over and lingers on the palate." -  95/100 ,  Wine Enthusiast.. Gold Medal, Brussels Concourse Mondial. 2022.   WINERY Note: Monteabellón Finca Matambres is the purest expression of Tempranillo from our most important vineyards. A clayey-calcareous soil, the perfect orientation and our love for viticulture results in a very expressive, elegant wine. After spending...

Tim Atkin MW 94 points. Monteabellón Finca Matambres is the purest expression of Tempranillo from our most important vineyards. A clayey-calcareous soil, the perfect orientation and our love for viticulture results in a very expressive, elegant wine. After spending 20 months in the barrel a signature wine is obtained.

Wine Advocate 93 points. The 2020 Reserva showcases wines from the Haro region and is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano fermented in oak vat with a seven-day maceration. It was aged in barrel for 24 months—80% French and the rest are from central Europe and America. It was bottled at 14.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.55. This is a very reliable wine, keeping the profile year after year: ripe, juicy with integrated oak, spicy and tasty, with fine tannins with an approachable profile. This is a gentler year that is going to be a success with the general public. Balanced and gentle. They produced 936,000 bottles. It was...

Wine Advocate 92 points. The 2019 El Andén de la Estación is a new red that takes advantage of the Barrio de la Estación, the train station neighborhood of Haro. It's a Crianza with less extraction, looking for the elegance and finesse of the classical Rioja wines. It's a blend of Tempranillo from their younger vines and Garnacha (that they buy) that matured in French and European barrels for 14 months. It's a quaffable red with lots of Garnacha character (it might represent up to 30% of the blend, by far the highest in Garnacha from the portfolio). It's floral, juicy and expressive, very open and...

Wine Enthusiast 96 points. This wine is dark ruby in the glass. Aromas of cassis, black cherry and sage set the scene for juicy flavors of black currant, blackberry, clove, milk chocolate and lavender. Full-bodied tannins blanket the palate early on and slowly drift away to reveal notes of cherry and orange zest on the finish. Drink now–2039. Mike DeSimone .  

Wine Advocate 95 points. The subtle and harmonious 2019 Selección Especial reflects a very complete and good vintage. It has to be one of the finest vintages for this wine. 2019 is a powerful vintage with balance and freshness. The grapes ripened thoroughly and developed a full set of aromas and flavors. It's complex and nuanced, with abundant, fine-grained tannins and a long, dry and tasty finish. Selección applies to the vineyards but also the barrels and everything that contributes to this wine; it's not only a selection of lots, which was the case before the 1994 vintage. 274,992 bottles produced. It was bottled...

Top Ten Best Selling Wines - December 2022 Under $60 James Suckling 93 points. Plenty of dried flowers, dark berries and sandalwood on the nose. Full body. Firm and silky tannins. Gorgeous finish. Drink or hold.. Wine Spectator 93 Points. This generous red is rich and round, with ripe tannins and orange peel acidity. Cherry, dried currant, licorice, vanilla and spice flavors are ample yet focused. A balance of traditional and modern styles. Drink now through 2030. #TOP10

Top Ten Best Selling Wines - December 2022 Under $60 A perfumed nose of dark cherry, plum, coconut, cedar and dried thyme. Full-bodied with chewy tannins. Rich and structured with a chalky texture and a firm, delicious finish. Better from 2022. 92 Points James Suckling. #TOP

James Suckling 96 points Numanthia is the most emblematic wine from Bodega Numanthia, and is considered as one of the great wines from D.O. Toro. Numanthia gets its name from Numancia, a city famous of the resistance of an epic attack from the Roman army. The citizens defenced the city until the end, choosing death rather than surrender. Drawing a parallel with history, the Numanthia vines have resisted the extreme climate for almost 100 years and have been able to overcome some "bloody" episodes like the phylloxera epidemic in the nineteenth century. Numanthia is a single variety Tinta de Toro, the reigning variety in D.O. Toro....

"The greatest brandy in the world." IWSC Trophy 2022. “An incredibly charismatic, gloriously round brandy with a deliciously warm finish. Highly recommended.” This is how Brandy 1866 Gran Reserva was described by The International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) judges Joel Harrison, Barry McCaurgley, Caroline Roddis and Timothy Falzon at the awards ceremony where it was presented with the Grape Brandy Trophy 2022, which certifies it as the Best Brandy in the world. At Osborne, the company that produces it in Spain’s Jerez region, they consider Brandy 1866 Gran Reserva a masterpiece. It is made from the...

WA 93. The organic Garnacha 2019 La Montesa fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats and matured in barriques for 12 months. As it was very recently bottled, I tasted from two bottles, one uncorked the day before and the other uncorked just before the tasting. The bottle from the day before was more expressive in the nose, but I also liked the austerity of the just-opened bottle. The wine is concentrated and powerful, richer and more concentrated than the 2018, with more density and ripe flavors. It has a medium-bodied palate with very fine tannins. The 800,000 kilos of grapes were hand harvested and selected, trying to avoid...

Palacios Remondo La Vendimia 2021 is a vivacious red that captivates with its bouquet of ripe cherries and raspberries, interwoven with a subtle hint of vanilla and black pepper. On the palate, it is succulent, with an inviting acidity that beckons one to take another sip, and velvety tannins that allow the wine to glide effortlessly across the taste buds. It is a youthful wine, exuding a carefree personality, ideal for those seeking to revel in the unadulterated essence of fruit at its most genuine. Red wine Oak. 5 months in oak barrels.

Preludio de Sei Solo  is a red wine from the  Ribera del Duero  region produced by  Bodegas Sei Solo . It is made using only  Tinto Fino (Tempranillo)   grapes. The grapes that are used to make  Preludio de Sei Solo  come from nine small plots situated in the locality of  La Horra,  in the province of  Burgos.  The vines, which are around 60-90 years old, are of a very low yield. Only 7,000 bottles of this wine are produced per vintage. On arrival at the winery, the grapes are pass through the process of being desetemmed, followed by undergoing cold maceration. Then...

Wine Advocate 91 points. As with many reds from 2017, I was pleasantly surprised by the 2017 Hado, which Carlos San Pedro told me could be a modern version of the 2005 (and 2016, perhaps 2007). It has good ripeness, black rather than red fruit and spicy oak. The palate is still a bit tannic, but this wine will not be released until October 2019, so it will have some time to polish those tannins in bottle. LG June 2019. #22

Concourse Internationale de Lyon, Gold Medal. 100% Tempranillo from 40 year old vines. Matured for 12 months in French and American oak. Bright cherry-red with ruby-red tones, well covered. Complex and expressive on the nose, ripe fruit aromas and hues of good wood. Well balanced and fresh with a long aftertaste.

Wine Advocate 94 points. The eminently Mediterranean 2020 Uno was produced with Monastrell grapes from ungrafted 57-year-old vines picked at full ripeness with plenty of aromas and flavors. It fermented in open-top vats with indigenous yeast and was foot trodden and matured in a 5,000-liter oak vat for 12 months. So, the oaking is almost imperceptible and the wine comes through as balanced, harmonious, varietal and clean, very expressive, with a medium to full body and very fine tannins. Superb. It should age nicely in bottle. 6,600 bottles were filled in January 2022.  

Wine Advocate 91 points. Ultreia Mencía 2020 is a red wine with aromas of ripe red fruits on the nose, accompanied by a balsamic and mineral touch. The palate is elegantly balanced. This is a well-defined red wine, full of nuances, where the oak gives prominence to the fruit. It is fresh, silky and lively with a pleasant herbaceous note. Red wine Aged in wood Respectful agriculture. 12 months in French oak barrels.