Spain

92+ Points! The ripe red 2018 Terra de Cuques is a 50/50 blend of Garnacha and Cariñena from different vineyards around the village of Torroja (there are some grapes from Poboleda, a cooler village) that fermented equal parts in stainless steel and concrete; it matured in concrete and foudres but with the intention to abandon the aging in oak in the near future. It has lots of notes of licorice and Mediterranean herbs, intermixed with ripe berries and very little impact from the oak. The palate is round and reveals abundant grainy tannins. This is a powerful Terra de Cuques. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

93+ Points! The very recently bottled 2021 Terra de Cuques Blanc was produced with 90% Pedro Ximénez and 10% Muscat with a moderate 13% alcohol, the minimum required by the appellation. It's serious, with good freshness, a little reductive at first but then more expressive with abundant notes of pollen and a honeyed touch, with a little skin contact that gives it character and some notes of quince and fine tannins. There's finesse and elegance and it's very clean. They have food in mind when they do the wines, so there is a constant search for freshness. There is a good demand for whites, and they sell everything, but the planting of white vineyards is limited. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94 Points! Subtle green spice and cement to the squeezed lemon and grapefruit, with a hint of nori-like umami. Dry, creamy and sleek, with medium to full body and lovely texture to the neutral fruit, though not lacking in substance. Very contained. Drink now or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

From the importer: After a fateful tasting at Can Roca followed by the tasting menu, Dominik Huber became convinced that not enough attention was being paid to white wines in the Priorat. Out of the dozen courses he had, only about three were suited to red wines so when he got back to Torroja he set about creating two new wines at Terroir al Limit – Terra de Cuques and Pedra de Guix. Naturally when Dominik launched Terroir Històric in 2015, the white wasn’t going to be an afterthought and it in fact represents half of his production. A blend of Garnatxa Blanca and Macabeu, the Terroir Historic Blanc is pressed whole cluster, and ferments and ages for 6 months in a 5000L concrete tank. Nothing added, nothing taken away.

92+ Points! The 2019 Terroir Históric is charming, approachable, round, open and expressive, with good ripeness and 14% alcohol, a juicy palate with a soft mouthfeel and round tannins. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

90 Points! A round and fresh garnacha blanca here with some subtle peaches, green apples and mineral characters. Fresh acidity brightens it up on the medium-bodied palate with a fruity finish. From organically grown grapes. Vegan. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

From the importer: The village wine and entry to the Conde de Hervías range is Trinidad del Conde de Hervías, an outstanding value. Trinidad is the expression of three different single-vineyards in the village of Torremontalbo, on three distinct soil types, all planted to the original, ancestral clone of tempranillo: Romero, on pure calcareous clay soil in 1978, while Llano Alto on ferrous calcareous clay with river rocks, was planted in 1958.
Lastly, Trinidad contains a portion of the 1874 pre-phylloxera Las Arenillas vineyard, planted on sandy calcareous clay soil. Traditional goblet (bush training) method is used in the vineyard, which helps preserve acidity and freshness in the wines and guards against heat damage.

Trinidad del Conde de Hervías is produced from hand-picked, organically-farmed grapes. Native yeasts are utilized for alcoholic fermentation, bringing the character of the vineyard to the wines. Recently, he has been utilizing a method called integrated fermentation, where alcoholic and malolactic fermentations happen simultaneously, bringing great harmony to the wine. Finally, the aging process is never hurried; the estate releases small quantities of each wine only when the time is right for each one to express its personality.

91+ Points! The 2022 Gaba do Xil O Barreiro is from their own vineyards, 15 to 16 hectares in Larouco on red granite soils from a transitional place between granite and slate. 2022 was a warm year, a rounder and gentler vintage, and the wine is a little riper at 13% alcohol. Godello behaves differently from the single vineyards and has a rounder mouthfeel. It also has a more reductive profile, fruit-driven and with notes of flowers and herbs. It was bottled unoaked after four months with lees. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

93 Points! The 2022 Louro still feels a little reductive and has pungent balsamic notes of bay leaf. It was a very warm year with constant heat and very healthy grapes. It keeps the freshness but still feels the roundness of the year. Most of the grapes were picked before the rain they had in September. It's tasty with a salty twist in the finish. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! The 2022 As Sortes feels very young and a little raw and undeveloped, with great freshness. Despite being a very warm summer, they had rain (20+ liters) that was absorbed by the grapes, which made a delicate wine, much fresher than expected. Of course, the high altitude of the vines and the late ripeness and harvest here also have to do with the fresh character of the wine, which transcends the character of the year. I'd wait a little to pull the cork...He's one of the finest white wine producers in Galicia and in Spain. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

96 Points! The Listán Blanco 2021 Vidonia was produced with Listán Blanco grapes from centenary vines in Las Suertes, La Florida and La Mocana on clay soils in the Orotava. It fermented with indigenous yeasts in used 500-liter oak barrels and 2,500-liter oak foudres, where it matured for 11 months. It has 12.8% alcohol, a low pH of 3.03 and 6.54 grams of acidity. This is fresh, balanced and elegant, expressive, clean and open. The wine is volcanic but not reduced, with great finesse in the palate. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94 Points! The white 2021 Trenzado comes from eight different vineyards in the Orotava Valley, mostly from the village of Los Realejos where the basalt soils are quite shallow. It fermented in oak foudres of different sizes and 500-liter oak barrels, where it matured for 11 months. It has 12.9% alcohol with a low pH (3.04) and high acidity (6.35 grams) for the variety. The wine has settled in bottle, where it seems to gain weight. The year was a little cooler, and the wine is fresher. It has notes of toasted sesame seeds. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

91+ Points! The very young unoaked red 2021 Rayos Uva looks for fruit-driven aromatics showcasing the approachability of Rioja Baja, where the wines can be juicy and tasty. It was produced with a blend of 40% each Garnacha and Tempranillo and 20% Graciano, quite different from the wines from the past, with 13.5% alcohol and good freshness and balance. It fermented destemmed and was kept in tank until bottling. It's very primary, a little reductive, young, fresh and juicy, with notes of berries and herbs and a light and fresh palate that makes it very pleasant and easy to drink. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

97 Points! The 2021 Anza Especial was produced with the idea to obtain a wine with aging potential while keeping the freshness and drinkability from early on. It was produced with the fruit from three old vines—Tempranillo, Graciano, Garnacha and Viura—fermented by plot in stainless steel and matured in used 500-liter oak barrels. It encapsulates the perfume, finesse and elegance that is present in the whole portfolio here with the aid of a very balanced 2021 vintage. It has notes of violets, red and black berry fruit, wild herbs and subtle spices. The palate has symmetry, elegance and precision, the tannins are extremely fine-bonded, and the flavors pure and precise and stay in your mouth for a long time after you swallow. Great juice. It should age effortlessly. 2,800 bottles produced. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94+ Points! The 2021 Anza wants to show the typicity of Laguardia and Elvillar with freshness, precision and no makeup. It's a blend of grapes—Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Malvasía, Calagraño, Viura and Moscatel—from different vineyards that were fermented by plot with some full clusters and a significant amount of white grapes. It matured in 500-liter barrels and oak vats of different sizes. It has 13.5% alcohol and a little more depth and clout compared with the 2022, and it's fine-boned and has very elegant tannins. Precision, my friends. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

93 Points! The 2015 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza reflects the warmer conditions of the year, and with the riper fruit they picked to produce this wine, they still managed to keep around 13.5% alcohol. The Cubillo vineyard has more clay, and sometimes clay soils take heat better and make the wines fresher than those from poorer soils. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

92 Points! The 2021 O Estranxeiro is a Mencía from the village of A Cova, different plots fermented in concrete, chestnut and oak and matured in those components for seven months. It has a medium-bodied palate and a moderate 12.5% alcohol and mellow acidity. It has a soft texture and a juicy mouthfeel, with clean and precise flavors, not terribly complex but very pleasant. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

90 Points! The village red 2019 El Reflejo was produced with Bobal grapes from 15 separate plots in the process of being certified organic in Casas de Benítez and Pozoamargo close to the Júcar River, all within five kilometers of each other on limestone soils. In 2019, they harvested earlier, looking for more freshness, and with slightly higher yields guided from the pruning. They used 50% full clusters in the fermentation in 3,300-liter stainless steel vats that was quite soft, with a total time of 21 days. The wine matured in a combination of tinajas, concrete vats and 225- and 500-liter oak barrels for a total of 14 months. It's floral and perfumed, quite showy, open an expressive with a medium-bodied palate, focused flavors and fine tannins. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com