Spain

Xarel.lo, Macabeo & Parellada. The grapes are chilled to 10ºC and gently pressed to obtain only the freerun juice. Cold treatment is used to drain and clean the must with no added clarifying agents. The must from each variety is fermented separately at controlled temperatures of 15-17ºC during 15 days. Once the final blend from the base wines has been defined, the wine is bottled with the “liqueur de tirage”.

The second fermentation takes place in an underground cellar, followed by a period of ageing in contact with the lees.
The wine spends at least 11 months in the winery; enough time to acquire a correct balance of fruit (from the grapes), richness (from the lees) and a perfect integration of the bubbles (from cellaring).

The grapes from the 3 local varieties are selected from different vineyards and hand-harvested between 25th August
and 25th September. 25+ year old vines, located in the Penedés area. 100-400m above sea level. Clay and limestone soil.

The NV Crémant de Bourgogne Rosé is also terrific and offers a juicy bouquet of wild strawberries, red currants, peach, and some subtle leesy notes. It’s a fruit forward, nicely balanced, elegant Crémant that’s going to be incredibly versatile on the dinner table.- Jeb Dunnuck

90 Points! The NV Crémant de Bourgogne from Briday checks in as 40% each of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with the balance Aligote. Hand-harvested and traditionally made, and aged 12-16 months in bottle before release, it has a classy, Champagne-like nose of stone fruits, toasted break, and honeyed citrus to go with a rounded, fleshy, impressively textured profile on the palate. It has a vibrant mousse, building richness, and a soft, incredibly drinkable style. It’s a terrific wine to drink over the coming couple of years. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! Attractive aromas of sweet spices, smoke and seaweed. Some roasted nuts. Hints of Iberico ham. Medium-bodied with a nice rounded character to the tannins and juicy fruit. Pure tempranillo. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! Hints of toast, smoke and spices lace flavors of soft cherry and plum fruit, mandarin orange peel and dried flowers and herbs in this well-knit, medium-bodied red, framed by lightly chewy tannins. Drink now through 2029.- Wine Spectator

93+ Points! Aromas of sweet red berries, cherries, rose petals, licorice and spices introduce Guillemot's emblematic 2022 Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Aux Serpentières, a medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless wine that's fleshy, concentrated and vibrant, with a layered, complete profile and a long, bright finish. It's a lovely wine that will offer a broad drinking window. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

Bursting with aromas of sweet cherries, berries, rose petals and orange zest, the 2022 Bourgogne Côte d'Or is medium to full-bodied, ample and fleshy, with a succulent, charming profile that belies its track record of aging with grace.

The irrepressible Vincent Guillemot had every reason to smile as he showed me his family's 2022 portfolio, a range of wines characterized by purity and generosity of fruit. As readers will remember, this seven-hectare estate is rather classical, the reds fermenting in wooden tanks with temperature control, followed by élevage with modest percentages of new wood. Whole clusters increasingly play a role here. The wines are remarkably consistent, surpassing expectations in challenging years and fully delivering in more propitious vintages. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

93-95 Points! The 2022 Pouilly-Fuissé Clos la Verchère La Maréchaude 1er Cru comes from limestone and marn soils that Julien Barraud explained are structured like a millefeuille for six meters, ergo, very resistant to hydric stress. This has a precise and focused bouquet with yellow fruit, lanolin, desiccated orange peel and pressed white flower scents. The palate is medium-bodied with a very elegant opening. The purity is striking, with perfectly pitched acidity and a persistent, quite mineral-driven finish. This will be irresistible, yet it will age for many years. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

93+ Points! The village 2021 Viñedos en San Vicente de la Sonsierra was produced with 75% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and the rest white grapes, mostly Viura from vineyards in the middle and higher part of the village. It fermented partly with full clusters and matured 50/50 in concrete and 500- and 600-liter barrels in their cave. This feels quite serious, with ripeness and power, slowly revealing more elegant notes and some floral hints, with an earthy touch. It feels like the grapes ripened thoroughly in the longer cycle and developed plenty of nuances. It has 13.9% alcohol and is medium to full-bodied, serious and balanced, with the stuffing to develop in bottle. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94 Points! There's also a village red from Labastida, of which I tasted two vintages. The 2021 Viñedos en Labastida is a blend of different plots with some 85% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha and 5% white grapes fermented with indigenous yeasts and some whole clusters in search of balance and elegance. The wine matured in 500- and 600-liter oak foudres in their cold cave. This was my favorite of the village reds, with a perfumed and elegant nose, complex, deep and nuanced. It's serious, harmonious and with very fine tannins. It has medium ripeness and good balance. 3,600 bottles were filled in September 2022. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

93+ Points! The 2020 Cuvée Las Santas was produced from a number of small plots at higher altitudes and cooler expositions (north), only Garnacha, small plots. It has some Mediterranean, Châteauneuf-like character (cherries in liqueur, Mediterranean herbs) with 14% alcohol, very good acidity and very fine grained tannins. They fermented it with 50% full clusters and matured it in used French oak barrels for nine months. This is the wine they produce in the style they like, a more personal wine from special plots. 1,423 bottles were filled in March 2022.  - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94 Points! I love the pale, floral and delicate 2021 Kauten. This wine is the reason they started in the zone of Olite. The wine is elegant and ethereal. They do a soft extraction and only use half of the skins for the fermentation (50% of the clusters were pressed directly and the juice put in the fermentation vessel). They were worried because it's from a 20-year-old vineyard and they didn't want to extract much. They age it in used barrels for five months. The wine has 13.5%, and it's very approachable and expressive, with notes of sous bois, a vibrant palate and great freshness. Amazing wine and superb value. This is expressive, pure, deep and very satisfying. It should also age well. 1,246 bottles were filled in August 2022. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! The 2021 Almirez, sourced from La Jara, Villabuena del Puente and Valdefinjas vineyards in Toro, was aged up to 14 months in oak barrels. Garnet in hue. Its ripe aromas feature plums, dried flowers, undergrowth, licorice and garrigue against a cedar backdrop. Dry and rich on the palate, the mild and balanced flow leads to a lasting, juicy, cherry-like finish. The 2021 is a nuanced Toro wine. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous Media