The more recent 2014 Pegaso Barrancos de Pizarra was finally my favorite of all the bottles I tasted in this sitting, which were quite a few. This aged in ancient large clay amphorae and used 500- and 600-liter French oak...

The 2017 Vinyes Velles was produced with 74% Cariñena and 26% Garnacha from slope vineyards older than 70 years on llicorella slate soils all within the limits of the village of Porrera. All of the wines are produced in a...

A rich nose of raspberry, crushed strawberry, blueberry, coconut, cedar and sweet spice. It’s medium-to full-bodied with fine tannins and fresh acidity. Creamy, balanced and layered with vibrant, spicy character. Long and...

There is a high-pitched red fruit note on the nose of the 2017 El Molar, and it's a wine with a lot of light, something that is quite remarkable for a warm and Mediterranean year like 2017. This is a Garnacha that feels...

Dark violet. Powerful, spice- and mineral-accented boysenberry, cherry and incense aromas are complemented by suggestions of candied violet, vanilla and licorice. Vibrant and sharply defined on the palate, offering...

The Bodega’s flagship is called Selectus; no 2006 was made but the 2007 Selectus was worth the wait. A blend of 30% Syrah, 20% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Petit Verdot, it was aged for 18...

What a debut! Even given the distinguished track record of Bordeaux-based consultant Jean-Claude Berrouet, this is a remarkable wine that is part of a welcome new trend in Ribera del Duero. Elegant and refreshing, it has...

(95+ points) Once again, I tasted the impressive 2018 Mencía de Espanillo that I already tasted last time, and it was interesting to see how different it was from the 2019 Mengoba, which is also from Espanillo and...

Lots of chocolate and berry with some coffee-bean and vanilla undertones. It’s full and layered with plenty of fruit, round tannins and pleasing complexity of smoked and toasted wood. Tar undertone. Very drinkable now...

A beautiful red with rather flamboyant fruit, showing crushed berries, flowers and some chocolate and walnut undertones. It’s full-bodied and layered. Creamy texture. Drink or hold.

The DNA of Remelluri is here. Wild mountain herb character, structured and firm, these tannins are succulent and deeply expressive. Powerful and assertive red plums, wild cherries and roasting herbs with the oak sitting...

The Ribera del Duero project has been changing and a work in progress for a while ,and there's only one wine produced, of which this time I tasted the 2016 Matallana. It's a traditional blend of Tempranillo with...

The second wine here and one that is easier to drink, the 2018 Laurel was produced with fruit from the younger vines, a couple of barrels that are declassified from Clos Erasmus and the Cabernet Sauvignon, more or less...

Decanter World Wine Awards 2021. The bouquet is full of fragrant black fruits, cinnamon, cumin and Frankincense, the palate beautifully fleshy and textured, carrying cigar box, vanilla, blueberry and silky tannins through...

A 100% garnacha with aromas of dark cherries, plums, raisins, sweet spices and cigar box. It’s full-bodied with chewy tannins. Rich, ripe and velvety with a flavorful, spicy finish. Drink now or hold.

A creamy, velvety-textured red from the Duero, showing cherries and chocolate with some walnut undertones. It’s full-bodied with pretty fruit and complexity. Lightly salty and savory. Drinkable now, but better in a year...

The 2016 Valbuena was produced with a blend of 94% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 6% Merlot from 140 hectares dedicated to this wine. It fermented with indigenous yeasts, and the first year it matured in barrels (75%...

Impressive fresh, peppery and spicy aromas with dark berries and graphite. The palate has glossy, ripe tannins and an attractive, long, shimmery finish. Full of interest and detail. Saturated with flavor. Drink or hold.

The 2018 Terreus Paraje de Cueva Baja was cropped from a cool vintage when the vineyard saw some snow and a slow ripening of the grapes, which were harvested on the 16th of September under perfect conditions. It fermented...

The current release, the 2012 Imperial Gran Reserva checks in as a blend of 85% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano. Classic Rioja notes of blackcurrants, tobacco, toasted spices, balsamic, and lead pencil give way to a...

The 2018 Paixar is all violets, wild berries and raspberry leaves, a captivating, aromatic, floral and elegant expression of old-vine Mencía from the slate soils of Dragonte (Corullón) at 700 to 950 meters in altitude. It...

A very powerful red with the structure and intensity of a great Rioja from the 1950s, 1960s or 1970s. Real gran reserva. Dried fruits such as plums, prunes and cherries. Hints of figs too. Layered and so structured...

The cooler and more austere 2014 Espectacle del Montsant could have some similarities with 2008. It has beautiful floral aromas and hints of orange peel and wet stones. It has a serious, balanced and austere palate, a...

94+ The fresh and pure Garnacha 2018 Supersónico was produced with grapes from two hectares of old vines in the village of Sestrica at close to 1,030 meters in altitude (the highest altitude of all their vineyards) on...

The floral, aromatic and citrusy 2016 Espectacle del Montsant has unusual finesse and freshness. It's a powerful Garnacha that feels light on its feet but with great inner strength, refined tannins and great acidity...

There are no more than 1,200 cases of this dramatic Priorat, produced exclusively from vineyards planted prior to 1945. Until recently it was made from purchased grapes alone, as Torres didn't own vines that old –...

The 2017 Nit de Nin Mas d’en Caçador is a vintage they talk about like this: "We will remember this vintage as one of the most extreme of the decade, along with that of 2012. It is in years like these that the work we do...

Brilliant violet color. An intensely perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red/blue fruits, Moroccan spices, candied licorice, espresso and smoky minerals, with a sexy floral nuance emerging as the wine stretches out. Appealingly...

The serious 2018 Mengoba Mencía Alicante Bouschet shows the potential of 2018 to produce very fresh reds that are both approachable and deep, complex but easy to understand. I think he has come to a blend that shows the...