A fine, place-oriented Rioja with roasted spices and rich but fresh blue fruit. Fine-grained tannins melt away in a long finish loaded with fruit. A little fuller and more structured than the tense 2021. Drink or hold.

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...

The winery’s flagship, the wine that introduced Muga to the world, the 2021 Muga Reserva is Tempranillo-dominant, with Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano filling in the gaps. A larger-production wine, it offers tremendous...

A blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine has aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate and violet candy. Flavors of blackberry, Mission fig, mint tea, anise and lavender are intertwined with velvety tannins...

Unique with spot-on extraction. Expect a mineral profile with savory plums, blue fruit and dark cherries. Not a beast but a nuanced, medium-bodied and evenly packed red with etched tannins that are not overpowering...

This shows a wonderfully complex nose of dried herbs and wild berries. The medium- to full-bodied palate is elegant and bright, with focused, precise tannins and incisive energy. There’s a sense of overall balance, with...

The eponymous red 2022 Ponce was produced with 80% Bobal from granite soils and 20% Moravia Agria from limestone and clay. It fermented with 100% full clusters in open-top 4,500-liter oak vats and finished fermenting and...

Suave and harmonious, offering a silky mix of plumped cherry, plum and sassafras, plus a touch of cocoa powder defined by long, limber tannins. Refreshed by the tang of orange peel–infused acidity, this is fragrant...

The 2022 Pícaro del Águila Tinto has similar parameters to the 2021 (14% alcohol), but the sensation is of higher ripeness. Surprisingly enough, it has a lower pH than the 2021 I tasted next to it; they used more white to...

The 2021 Las Gravas contains grapes from a vineyard planted in 2006 (that already contributed to the 2020), and it has given the wine a fine-boned profile, with more freshness and varietal Monastrell notes, a...

Smoky and meaty character here with plums and dark cherries as well as sweet spices and bark. Medium- to full-bodied, with fine, polished tannins. Spicy and dark-fruited. Broad-shouldered and even on the palate with a...

93+ I last had the opportunity to drink the 2016 Rioja “Viña Arana” Gran Reserva a year ago and the wine continues to blossom beautifully. This is a riper vintage for this bottling, tipping the scales at 14.5 percent...

Lively acidity and notes of black plum skin and pomegranate impart a bright tang to this harmonious red. Minerally on the nose and palate, with ripe black raspberry, floral, marjoram and cocoa powder elements layered with...

A harmonious red, fresh and medium- to full-bodied, with a lovely skein of ground espresso, anise and paprika aromas lacing the black plum, cassis, violet, vanilla and loamy earth notes. Its fine-grained tannins are...

I was looking forward to the 2018 Mas de Mancuso Garnacha, from one of the finest vintages in the region in recent times. It comes from a vineyard in the village of Almonacid, an old plot at 670 meters in altitude...

The 2024 Albariño Leirana is from Salnés, Rías Baixas. This aged in stainless steel and foudre. It opens with linden, acacia and floral aromas, with hints of spice and peach. The palate is saline, slender and lively, with...

Dark-fruited with subtle chocolate, this Ribera del Duero opens with layers of blackberries, pepper and graphite. The palate is full-bodied and composed, with finely etched, dusty yet refined tannins that frame the...

This appealing red shows good focus and fine structure without excessive weight. Flavors of crushed black raspberry, cassis and mountain herbs, plus lots of black pepper, anise and sandalwood accents, expand on the creamy...

The minerality offers a thin gauze that veils the notes of chalk, seashells, violets, white pepper, flowers and red and blue berries. Touches of graphite, spices and grapefruit zest as well. The tannins are dusty and...

The 2020 Paixar is the one wine from the portfolio that is completely different from the others and comes from high-altitude vineyards in the zone of Dragonte on slate soils. In 2020 and 2021 they used the whole field...

The 2022 La Bruja de Rozas is 100% Garnacha from Tiétar in the Sierra de Gredos. It was fermented with 100% whole cluster and harvested before the rains came that year. The 2022 opens with red fruit, gentle cherry...

Opaque ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes red/blue fruit preserves, candied flowers and Asian spices, along with a smoky mineral overtone that gains in volume as the wine opens up. Impressively concentrated yet lively...

Beautiful, refined, finessed and filled with complexity, this is an example of wine worth waiting for. Flavors of tobacco, licorice, mixed fruits and an aromatic, floral lift. Ample while melting tannins pleasantly coat...

The 2022 Garnacha Viña Bonita comes from Gredos, a subzone of San Martín de Valdeiglesias. Aged for 12 months in used large barrels or foudres, it opens with intriguing wild herb aromas followed by ripe guinda, dried...

This has a seductive nose of aromas reminiscent of palo santo, with dark-fruit character and subtle dried herbs. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with firm tannins, more skeletal and vertical. A pleasant herbal note...

(VN 93-94 points) The 2023 Corullón is a Mencía from Bierzo sourced primarily from Moncerbal and San Martín. It opens with balsamic and forest herb notes, followed by dark-leaning fruit aromas of blackberry and plum...

The white 2024 Macharnudo San Cayetano comes from a very old plot of Palomino in Pago Macharnudo, San Cayetano, where the natural concentration is very high. San Cayetano has different exposures, and this is selected from...

Nervy peppery nose with ethereal red berries, peppercorns and spices. Medium body on the palate with wild berries and firm tannins, delivering a nimble yet composed mouthfeel. A nice touch of bitter spices at the end...

I love the 2021 El Puño Garnacha, which was produced in a similar way as the 2020, only with a slightly higher percentage of wine in barrel (50% versus 40%), but the oak goes unnoticeable. It has notes of blood orange and...

The 2022 Selección Albilla is a new top-of-the-range white. It comes from two plots of vines (70% granite and 30% limestone and gravel) one in Villamalea and another one by the winery at a higher altitude, where they find...