Wines

93 Points! A very pretty wine now with cedar, mushrooms and dried red fruit. Medium body, fine tannins and a subtle, polished finish. A wonderful old Rioja now. Magnum bottle. Drink now and enjoy. - JamesSuckling.com

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100 Points! Wow. Fabulous aromas of currants, rosemary, mint and orange peel. Perfect nose. Full body with perfectly integrated tannins. It's long and incredible with tangerine, toasted-oak, berry, terracotta and chocolate flavors. It lasts for minutes on the palate. This needs at least five years to soften but so spellbinding now. - JamesSuckling.com

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96+ Points! No wimpy wine, the 2006 Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard (76% Syrah, 18% Mourvedre, and 6% Grenache) has over 16% alcohol. It possesses phenomenal texture, stunning purity, and remarkable freshness, which, again, is attributable to the limestone soils as well as the proprietor’s brilliant hands-off winemaking philosophy. A complex perfume of roasted meats, black fruits, spring flowers, charcoal, and spice is followed by a wine of enormous richness (yet it is neither overweight nor heavy). Beautiful freshness permeates the wine’s black fruit flavors and full-bodied power and length. The finish lasts for nearly a minute. This 2006 should evolve for 12-15+ years. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

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94 Points! The 2011 Reserva red is a field blend from old vines (with 80% of the grapes sourced from vines 80+ years old), plus 20% combined of Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca from vines of approximately 20 years of average age. The blend was aged in French barriques (70% new) for 17 months. In one of Douro's biggest vintages, Vallado managed to produce a surprisingly elegant and nuanced wine. That was true the first and second time I saw this long ago. This has evolved well. It shows finesse and grace at this point. The big tannins have moderated, and the wine never seems as ripe or as jammy as the 2007. (That's a relative term—the 2007 isn't all that jammy as these things go.) Yet this is a prime-time wine with finesse, elegance and fine fruit, finishing with some understatement in flavor. Unlike the 2007, this isn't as likely today to hit you over the head or grab your attention, but it is completely seductive and perfectly balanced. The texture caresses the palate with velvet. The tannins are much riper. The fruit is still there and tasty but never too obvious. It will be interesting to see how this holds and how it evolves. Unlike the 2007 or even the 2008, this seems ready without a lot of concern over whether future aging will make it a lot better. - Mark Squires, robertparker.com

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97 Points! A gorgeous, sleek wine with super-polished tannins and fabulous fruit. It's full but so refined and sexy. It goes on for minutes. Really fine. What a wine. This Bordeaux blend from here is the best ever. - JamesSuckling.com

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95 Points! A traditional beauty that effuses iron, warm earth and savory tobacco leaves, together with plums, spices and orange zest. This is juicy and still tight, with firm but savory tannins. Medium-weight and quite zesty in texture, as is the case with the other López de Heredia reds tasted this session. Drink now or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! The 2011 Viña Tondonia Reserva is darker and shows riper fruit, a rounder palate and some dusty tannins. A year of ripeness, concentration and tannin, the wine is powerful with the finesse of Tondonia. Tasting this next to the textbook 2010 Tondonia revealed how this has more muscle and a wider back and the 2010 epitomizes the finesse and elegance. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

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95 Points! A very complex, aged Rioja with savory plums, mushrooms, bark, red earth, orange peel and cedar. Quite juicy, fresh and bright on the palate with a tangy, zesty palate, full of berries and oranges. Firm, long and complex with a mouthwatering finish. Such a traditional taste! Drink now or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

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99 Points! Baked raspberries, salted yellow plums, figs, walnuts, orange zest, mahogany and some toasted vanilla on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied with beautifully integrated, very fine bubbles. Dry, with exciting and unique white-pepper and sea-salt notes. Seamless. So harmonious. Salty and spicy clove notes evolving at the end. Amazing precision. Single parcel pinot noir, 100% vinified in oak barrels. No malo. 2g/l dosage. Disgorged November 2020. 6,750 bottles. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

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92 Points! The 2006 The Distance Shiraz was sourced from a 47-year-old estate vineyard. A glass-staining opaque purple color, the nose emits scents of toasty oak, pencil lead, scorched earth, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. On the palate this full-bodied wine is layered, dense, and structured, with enough stuffing to develop for another 4-6 years. It should be at its best from 2013 to 2030.

Glaymond is the hangout of rising star Damien Tscharke whose family owns the vineyards. They are located in some of the most prime real estate of Barossa Valley. Chris Ringland is the winemaking consultant. Those who love no-holds-barred, big Barossa behemoths should check out Glaymond. - Jay Miller, robertparker.com February 2009

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91+ Points! The 2006 Shiraz Apricot Block is also closed down and tannic. Its aromatics are reticent and the structure dominates the fruit at the moment. Whether it will come into balance remains to be seen. - Jay Miller, robertparker.com December 2009 Learn More

91+ Points! The 2006 Shiraz Alices is more dense and saturated than the Seven Acre cuvee. It exhibits a brooding nose of smoke, lavender, damp earth, game, and blueberry. Firm and a bit closed down on the palate, this structured effort is still tightly wound and will require extended cellaring of 6-8 years. It seems to have all the right stuff to ultimately reveal its full potential but time will tell. - Jay Miller, robertparker.com December 2009 Learn More

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