Spain

96 Points! Fresh yet deep nose, exuding aromas of dark blackberries, blueberries and a hint of iodine, violet, cream and mineral. Pretty elegant on the palate with a medium to full body, unleashing plenty of chalky tannins that give a solid bite to the finish. Dense yet still fluid, with a lengthy finish. Beautiful balance. Tempranillo. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93+ Points! The bottled 2019 Quintanilla combines the power of the year and the place with 14.68% alcohol and soft acidity. There are more tannins, and it has the chalky sensation of the limestone. It also has notions of ripe berries and the character of this year's wines, keeping the freshness. This is austere and mineral within the ripeness. It comes from a 1.13-hectare plot on limestone and sandstone soils planted in 1951 in the village of Elvillar, a walled, old-vine plot located in what was the 15th-century village of San Lorenzo de Quintanilla. The vineyard tends to produce powerful wines, and its grapes were always used to make the Pagos Viejos. This has some rugged tannins that give it a little rusticity, a character of the plot that tends to get stressed in warmer years. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

96 Points! Dark cherries, nervy energy and a gentle floral note on the nose. The medium-bodied palate shows tension and an elegant expression of fruit—subtle yet tasty—framed by fine-grained tannins. Savory and delicious. From an extremely old vineyard rooted in deep clay soils in the village of Valtuille de Abajo. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2023 Las Gundiñas Lomas de Valtuille combines Mencía, Trousseau and up to 10% Doña Blanca from a centenary vineyard. It fermented with 100% whole clusters and aged for up to 11 months in barrel. This opens with appealing herbal aromas of sour cherry, a distant hint of violet and a touch of rosehip. The palate is firm and structured, with broad flavor intensity. The fresh vintage aligns well with the style and the whole-cluster character leaves a compact, slightly austere finish that promises to improve in bottle. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous

97 Points! The 2013 Reserva Viña Tondonia is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 10% Graciano and Mazuelo, grown in the calcareous soils of the Tondonia meander in Rioja Alta. Aged extensively in American oak, it offers restrained black fruit, wild herbs, balsamic hints and sweet spices with gentle cedar and vanilla notes. Medium-bodied with chalky grip and a layered, tertiary finish, this is a benchmark classic—refined, enduring and unmistakably Tondonia. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous

95 Points! The canonical red 2013 Viña Tondonia Reserva has a developed nose of dried roses and tar that transported me to Piamonte but soon took me back to the López de Heredia cellars in Haro with the mixture of mushrooms, truffles, damp earth and decayed leaves, hints of brick dust and spice. 2013 was a rainy year, with 753 liters of it, well above the average of 530 liters in Haro. It was also a cooler year, and the ripeness was slow, so they didn't start picking until the seventh of October, but they had to hurry up because of the risk of botrytis. The crop was not so big, because they suffered from hail in July that affected the Viña Tondonia, coupled with strong winds that broke many branches. The breakdown in 2013 comes to 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo that fermented in old oak vats with indigenous yeasts. All the wines age in old American oak barrels in their caves, in this case for no less than six years. It comes in at 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.4 and 6.6 grams of acidity, perhaps a lighter vintage with higher acidity that translates into a lot of energy, a fine-boned palate and very fine tannins with a vibrant finish... It should be released in the spring of 2025, almost 12 years after the harvest. And look at the price... - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94 Points! The 2022 Hacienda Monasterio is a blend of 86% Tinto Fino, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Malbec. They only got 170 liters of rain and suffered five heat waves—what happens in Ribera is accentuated at the Monasterio estate—but they were able to manage it quite well. Since 2018, they have been harvesting earlier, in early September, because they have managed to achieve ripeness a little earlier, and it shows in the wine, which has 14.5% alcohol on the label (perhaps a little lower in the real analysis, but they need to round up to half a degree on the labels). The skins were thick, so the vinification was softer to avoid too much extraction. They also did a longer aging in barrel; it's usually 15 to 17 months, depending on the lot, but this year, the average was 17 months and it helped. In contrast, they did a shorter élevage in 2023, because it was what the wine called for. The nose is harmonious and shows no heat or excess ripeness (or oak), and the palate is silky with surprisingly ripe and round tannins, escaping the excess grip I found in many 2022s in the zone. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! Very pale in colour yet surprisingly concentrated for a wine of such light hue, delivering lots of delicate red berries and an ample palate with plenty of fleshy fruit and texture. The 100% Garnacha fruit is sourced from 70- to 90-year-old vines on several plots at 600m-750m. Only half of the free-run must is used, fermented plot by plot in small oak vats, with the wine remaining on its lees for at least four months before a final selection and blend is made. Wonderfully elegant with stony minerality, this is seamless, fruity and refined, with a very moreish finish. A really clear definition of the region. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! The top rosé is also extremely young. The 2025 Flor de Muga Rosado was produced with the direct pressing of Garnacha grapes from the Najerilla and Oja valleys, grapes that usually ripen but keep a pale red color and are not suitable for red wines. It fermented in small oak vats, where it was kept with fine lees and bâtonnage for four months. This is even paler and certainly subtler, more elegant and complex than the regular rosé. It comes in at a lower 13.5% alcohol, keeping very good freshness, reflected by a pH of 3.27 and 6.2 grams of acidity. It's balanced and subtle, really elegant and more delicate, with more freshness. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

98 Points! One of the finest Valbuenas available, showcasing great depth, structure and detail while remaining polished. It exhibits notes of blackberries, cocoa powder, graphite, and high-quality sandalwood, with hints of lard and violets. The standout feature this year is the quantity and quality of the tannins—huge, yet incredibly refined and polished. There are plenty of fine grits that aren’t fully integrated but should harmonize in two to three years. Exceptionally long finish. Will hold effortlessly for the next 20 years. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The 2021 Valbuena comes from a year with pristine grapes, good ripeness and balance, for them one of their finest years when they didn't have to rush and everything happened in a smooth way. The year was marked by the snowstorm Filomena in January, which provided good water reserves, and the rest of the winter had temperatures reaching -15 degrees Celsius! This was a blend of 96% Tinto Fino (a.k.a. Tempranillo) and 4% Merlot aged in barrels and 8,500- and 21,000-liter oak vats during the first year and later only in oak vats. This is the youngest expression of the "Vega" nose, subtler and elegant, more insinuating, less developed and keeping some primary notes, not as tertiary as the Únicos. It comes in at 14% alcohol, with a pH of 3.85 and 4.65 grams of acidity, and it has a medium- to full-bodied palate, with elegant tannins and very good balance. This is one of the finest recent vintages for Valbuena, and in a way, it reminded me of the 2010, with elegance and precision. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

99 Points! The 2016 Único was perfumed and elegant, showcasing a very good vintage in the region. Winemaker Gonzalo Iturriaga started in 2015—a powerful year—and he remembers 2016 as a very balanced year, with higher yields and finer-boned wines. The winter was mild, and there was a cooler than average spring and a warm summer. September was dry, which provided healthy grapes and balanced ripening. The harvest started the 22nd of September and finished the 11th of October. The bottled wine is 96% Tinto Fino and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon with 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.82 and 4.8 grams of acidity. It has the old Vega perfume, intoxicating, complex and nuanced, full of personality and a very energetic palate, vibrant and fresh, not lacking power but with lots of elegance. The wine is released 10 years after the harvest, combining time in new and used American and French oak barrels and 20,000-liter oak vats, and it obviously spends plenty of time in bottle. This is a monumental vintage of Único. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

The grapes come from the property owned vineyards in the municipality of Grávalos, south of Monte Yerga at the foothills of the “Cordillera Ibérica” at an altitude between 700–800 meters above sea level. A remarkably high located area where you obtain fresh wines with little alcohol content and with very fine and elegant aromas.

The Viura grape is harvested during the two first weeks of October. The collection of the grapes is done manually, selecting the grapes, preventing any deteriorated grapes from reaching the press or not complying with the quality required to elaborate our cavas.

The free-run juice, obtained after a mild pressing, will be destined for the elaboration of our cavas. The first fermentation of the must takes place in stainless steel tanks at a low temperature around 14oC. At the beginning of spring, when the wine is cleaned by precipitation, the second fermentation is done inside the bottle, remaining there to age for at least 24 months.

94 Points! The flagship of the estate, the 2021 Tinto is based on 85% Tempranillo, 13% Graciano, and 2% Garnacha. It has a gorgeous nose of cassis and darker berries interwoven with subtle spice, graphite, and leather. This carries to a medium to full-bodied, round, concentrated wine with beautiful tannins, a layered, seamless mouthfeel, and a great finish. I'd buy it. It should have two decades or more of overall longevity. - Virginie Boone, JebDunnuck.com

93 Points! Aromas of dark berries, plums, graphite and herbs. Concentrated and structured with a core of dark fruit supported by a compact, focused finish. Precise, firm tannins add definition and longevity, making this a wine built for aging. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points!

The 2022 La Viña de Corteo comes from the 1.8 hectares of Syrah planted in 1998 and is only produced every three or four years given the challenges of the variety in the zone. It fermented in stainless steel but finished in new 225-liter French and American oak barrels where it matured for 23 months. It has toasty notes, spicy and smoky, with aromas of black olives. It has 15% alcohol, a pH of 3.62 and 5.7 grams of acidity and three grams of residual sugar. They only produced 1,500 bottles in 2022.

95 Points! They adjusted the picking dates, and the 2022 Camino de Auritz sees a jump in freshness and elegance, finishing with a full 1% less alcohol than the 2021 (this has 13.5%). It's Garnacha from two old plots of 0.22 and 0.1 hectares on limestone soils at 450-plus meters above sea level, where they found some plants of Garnacha Gris. It fermented with 50% full clusters and indigenous yeasts (including malolactic) and matured in used French oak barrels for 11 months. This is a big jump in quality from the previous year. Unfortunately, there are only 874 bottles of this wine. It was bottled in August 2024. The wine is harmonious and approachable but should also age nicely in bottle. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! The red blend 2023 Anza was produced with Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Malvasía, Calagraño, Viura and Moscatel grapes from the zones of Laguardia and Elvillar, produced in a fresh and direct style with no makeup. It fermented with some stems by plot and zones and matured in used 500-liter barrels and oak vats of different sizes for 12 months. They had 568 liters of rain in 2023, which also saw mild temperatures, save for a 12-day heat wave at the end of August, followed by a rainy September and October. The wine is clean, open, aromatic and nuanced. None of the reds show any aromatic influence from the wood. It has a contained 13.5% alcohol and a very balanced, medium-bodied and elegant palate, with very fine tannins. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

91 Points! This sleek white crackles with energy and racy acidity, with flavors of crunchy pear, persimmon, lime peel and lemon thyme underscored by stone and salt notes. Offers good length on the bright, minerally finish. Drink now through 2028. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! The more delicate, ethereal and fine 2023 La Dama has a paler color and is fragrant and subtle, with a sense of fragility and delicacy like no vintage before. The grapes from the lower part of the main vineyard, called Lupier, where you find less slate (but still slate), were picked in early September and were vinified with 100% full clusters and a long maceration. The higher part was vinified separately and might be released as a new single-vineyard wine; but there are only a couple of barrels of it, and they have not yet decided what to do. The alcohol level is contained, at around 13.5%. It's precise, clean and focused and has purity of aromas and flavors, a delicate texture, super fine tannins, balance and lots of energy. The two wines are now more different than ever. It's really stunning, bravo! - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! The 2023 El Terroir is a village red from San Martín de Unx that was selected from six different vineyards that were harvested quite early, at the beginning of September. It fermented with full clusters, indigenous yeasts and a long maceration. It is slightly darker than La Dama, with more clout and some more tannins but all relative to La Dama, which is superlative, because outside that context, this would be super fragrant, elegant and subtle. It has container power, lots of energy and depth and a beautiful combination of wild berries, herbs and flowers. It has a fine-boned, medium-bodied palate and good balance. It has contained ripeness and around 13.5% alcohol. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94+ Points! The red 2018 Viña Cubillo Tinto Crianza is pretty and attractive, fresh and aromatic, floral, the result of a challenging year with lots of rain and high humidity. This is usually the last vineyard to be harvested, and the grapes were picked late, the 26th of October. It's a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo that matured in a combination of oak vats and well-seasoned American oak barrels for six years. It's elegant and clean, young and undeveloped, with very fine tannins and a sleek, polished mouthfeel. It has 13.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.0 and 6.5 grams of acidity. This could be the finest Cubillo in recent times, and it's a bargain. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! Aromas of limes, white nuts, green apples, savory seaweed and seashells. So delicious, with a creamy, nutty touch and a savory, lightly saline finish. Nori at the end. Really long and intellectual. Viura aged in Sherry butts. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93+ Points! The 2021 Monopole Clásico Reserva comes from a cooler year with a long cycle and was produced with grapes that were picked on October 7 and 8, fermented in stainless steel, then matured in oak barrels and Sherry casks of different sizes—300, 400 and 500 liters—where it matured for eight months and managed to grow a veil of flor yeasts in the butts filled with the wine. Still pale and young but with incipient complexity, it has a very spicy nose with notes of esparto grass, hints of pollen and cereals. It's fresh and comes in at 13.38% alcohol, with a pH of 3.26 and 5.61 grams of acidity, meaning balance and freshness. It has depth, complexity and character, with more freshness and acidity and some grip, showing more of the character of the vintage. It's very tasty and ends with a very pleasant bitter twist in the finish. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com