Spain

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.

95+ Points! The depth of the nose of the 2020 El Veneno already talks about a much better vintage with very complete and full wines that are floral, expressive and ripe but delicate, what they always look for: delicate wines with power, the proverbial iron fist in the velvet glove. It's varietal, Mediterranean, fresh, expressive, rich and complex, with abundant, chalky tannins that coat your mouth and give it a dry sensation, earthy and mineral. It has more of everything. The finest vintage of El Veneno to date. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

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

92 Points! Opaque ruby. Spice-accented dark berries, mocha, cola and pungent flowers on the highly perfumed nose. Appealingly sweet black and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors become livelier and pick up a hint of vanilla with air. The blue fruit and floral notes recur on an impressively long, penetrating finish that features subtly gripping tannins and a hint of exotic spices. - Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media

98 Points! The phenomenal 2020 Las Gravas was produced with 92% Monastrell from 30- to 40-year-old vines on north-facing gravel soils (hence its name) complemented with 8% Garnacha. It fermented with 30% full clusters and indigenous yeasts in underground stone lagares and matured in a combination of 500-liter barrel and 5,000-liter foudres for 16 months. It has classical parameters, 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.47 and 4.87 grams of acidity per liter. The wine is super perfumed and floral, really showy, elegant, nuanced and refined, with the notes of pine needles and wet soil much subtler than in the 2019. There is an ethereal character to the 2020s that I haven't found in any previous vintage here, but at the same time, the wines are very mineral and have lots of energy and light. There is precision, cleanliness, definition and elegance like I hadn't seen before and refined tannins with a pungent mineral sensation in the textured finish. This is an incredible wine for the price asked. - Luis Gutiérrez, 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

90 Points WS Top 100 2022 #47! This bright red ripples across the palate, with savory hints of cured tobacco and loamy earth underscoring the black currant and black raspberry fruit. Medium-bodied, with lightly chewy tannins. Drink now through 2027. - Wine Spectator