Spain

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

From the importer: Barrialto Sobre Lías Santa Brigida, bottled from a single 500L butt, is a blend of two different albariza soil sub-types. Palomino grapes from Pago Balbaína Baja near Jerez (albariza tosca cerrada soils), with grapes from Pago Maína, near Sanlúcar, (albariza barajuelas soil). Rafa says that the tosca cerrada albrariza lends the blend balance and fitness, while the barrajuela albariza lends a dry minerality and herbal salinity. Each wine Rafa produces is a unique snapshot of a place, time, and soil type in his vineyards in the Jerez region. As a result, production of these authentic treasures is in the hundreds of bottles, and they are exceptionally limited, coming to the US market in tiny allocations.

Hand-harvested palomino grapes (from 40+ year-old vines) are de-stemmed and pressed, followed by spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts from the vineyard without temperature control in a 500L ex-Manzanilla cask. After fermentation, it rests for nine months on its fine lees with bâtonnage in the same barrels before being racked into a stainless steel tank to settle before bottling unfined, with only a light paper filtration and minimal additional sulfur used before bottling.

The NV Solear Manzanilla is 100% Palomino from the Gibalbin and Santa Lucia vineyards grown on albariza soils, and averaging seven years aging under a veil of flor. The perfumed nose is dominated by roasted almonds, dry flowers (chamomile), bread dough and a whiff of sea breeze. The medium-bodied palate is crisp and penetrating, with a long finish. A subtle Manzanilla, ideal for tapas and sushi.- Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

The NV Fino Jarana, aged in Jerez, has a beautiful, classical Fino nose of chalk, dry hay, dry straw (esparto) and nuts, while the palate is very dry, intense and pungent, long, with a pleasant bitter finish. It’s both intense and fine.- Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com