Rioja

97 Points! The 2016 Gran Reserva 904 from Rioja Alta is composed of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano. It aged for four years in American oak barrels, 20% of which were new. This has a slightly sun-kissed profile, opening with pronounced oaky aromas followed by classic tertiary notes of clove, licorice, vanilla and caramel, alongside hints of tobacco leaf and bay. This is complex in its maturity, offering good volume, creamy texture and a seamless flow across the palate. A touch of camphor appears at the finish, adding energy to the approachable character. The extended aging in oak defines the long, composed finale. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous

97 Points! Such a deep and complex gran reserva with richness and depth. Genuinely intense and harmonious, with cigar box, pine cones, black mushrooms and high-grade wood and vanilla. Juicy, flavorful and really long. Goes on for a minute, if not more. Such a hedonistic Rioja that delivers sheer pleasure. 90% tempranillo and 10% graciano. - JamesSuckling.com

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

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

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

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

96 Points! Juicy, ripe, plummy fruit with a spicy wood touch and a hint of citrus. Assertive and fine-grained with medium to full body. Excellent tannins are nicely woven and integrated with the fruit. Long finish. La Hoya stands out in this challenging vintage. 95% tempranillo and 5% viura. Sand and silt soils on an east-facing slope. 3.3 hectares. From organically grown grapes. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The bottled version of the 2023 La Hoya feels quite serious and harmonious. It spent its first winter in 500- and 600-liter barrels and the second one in a 4,000-liter oak foudre. The nose is quite subtle and a little shy, with finesse. The top part of the plot is sandy, and the lower part has more silt; the combination gives the wine fruit and structure. It also has a lot of limestone and comes through as very balanced too. It's medium-bodied and really fine-boned. This is now showing much better than anticipated. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

97+ Points! The bottled 2023 San Lázaro, from the 1.62 hectares of vines they have, shows contained ripeness and has 14.4% alcohol. This is always more restrained, and there's no exuberance here; there's subtleness, finesse and verticality. It has a spicy side, with notes reminiscent of curry, a little à la Vosne-Romanée, a little cinnamon perhaps, but with the Tempranillo austerity, of course. The palate is medium-bodied, with great balance and super fine and elegant tannins. The wine is a little closed at the moment, but it should grow with time in bottle. It's really good and challenges El Carretil this year. I give it the edge—perhaps because it is the more approachable of the 2023s. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! The 1981 Vina Tondonia Gran Reserva has a vibrant nose reminiscent of coeval Burgundy, with scents of citrus peel, orange rind, singed leather and a Tuscan delicatessen. The palate has a penetrating orange peel and tart cherry entry with potent earthy notes at its core. It is supremely well-balanced with an energetic finish underpinned by crisp dry tannins. This wonderful Rioja is drinking perfectly now and will age effortlessly. - Neal martin, robertparker.com

97 Points! The only current red Gran Reserva is the 1995 Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva, the one that is produced exactly the same as before, including fining with egg whites and sealing with red wax. 1995 was an excellent and early harvest, the grapes achieved full ripeness and were harvested under the sun during two weeks starting October 9. The wine, which exceptionally achieved 13% alcohol, is the usual blend, 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo (Cariñena). Like all their wines, it fermented with indigenous yeasts in old oak vats and as a Gran Reserva it matured in old American oak barrels for ten years! Yes, it was bottled in November 2006 and launched in 2015, a full 20 years after the harvest. This light-colored, ethereal 1995 is the essence of Viña Tondonia. It has developed aromas and complexity gained with the time in bottle, of incense, leather, cured meat, cherries in liqueur, cold bonfire and spices. The palate is super-tasty, with fully-resolved tannins and very good acidity. The texture is super-fine, sophisticated and ethereal with gob-smacking balance. Intense, powerful and elegant, too. Hard to believe, but this red feels too young and while approachable, I'd wait a couple of years or more because it will be much better. The profile follows the style of the great classics of the 1950s and 60s. Bottles like this are the ones that created the López de Heredia myth. This could be lighter than the 1994, but in the long run I believe the 1995 will be the better bottle. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

97 Points! The 2019 Prado Enea Gran Reserva is their more traditional Rioja, a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, mostly from Rioja Alta (Sajazarra, Cellorigo and Fonzaleche) at 550 to 700 meters in altitude, but the Garnacha is from different plots in the zone of Tudelilla at a high altitude. They didn't produce Prado Enea in 2017 or 2018, so this is the follow-up of the superb 2016. The bunches were harvested into 200-kilogram boxes, destemmed, put through optical sorting and fermented in small oak casks with indigenous yeasts. The élevage in barrel was extended to 36 months. The nose is phenomenal, keeping the essence of Muga with a touch of Garnacha perfume; it's still young and undeveloped for its age, not yet tertiary. The wine is full-bodied but fine-boned and has 14.7% alcohol, a pH of 3.46 and 5.81 grams per liter acidity. Still young, the wine has power and elegance and very good aging potential. 119,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2023. The next vintages will be 2021 and 2022, and after that perhaps 2025, but certainly no 2023 or 2024 wine. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

97+ Points! The expressive, complex and nuanced 2016 Prado Enea Gran Reserva is a textbook traditional Rioja in the making. 2016 was a very elegant year, with aging potential, volume and very good acidity and freshness. It's full-bodied but fine-boned, has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.6 and 5.25 grams per liter acidity. It has terrific balance, with all the components in the right proportion to age superbly in bottle. They have also been working on the selection of wood used. This wine matured in French and American oak barrels for three years, and the oak is super integrated. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

97 Points! Spiced red and black fruits, new saddle leather, smoky tobacco, and lead pencil are just some of the nuances in the 2016 Prado Enea Gran Reserva, a pure, medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, beautifully textured Rioja from this team. With beautiful yet building tannins, a pure, focused style, and awesome length on the finish, it's a brilliant wine with a solid two decades of prime drinking ahead of it. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! Complex aromas of dark fruit with violets, walnuts and chocolate. Classy. It's full-bodied with plush yet fine velvety tannins, and a precise and pointed finish. Juicy and savory. Tight finish. It's very long. This is beautiful now but will be even better in three or four years. Linear and vertical at the same time. Try after 2026. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2014 Viña Bosconia is 80% Tempranillo with 10% Garnacha, 5% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo from the El Bosque vineyard in Haro, Rioja. Garnet in hue, it opens with cassis, cola and oak-driven aromas. The palate is youthful and smooth, with well-integrated tannins, black fruit and anisette at the finish. Still growing, it’ll develop greater complexity with more time in bottle. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous

94+ Points! I loved the nose of the 2014 Viña Bosconia Reserva, a red that sells at an incredible price for the quality, the problem is (like all their wines) finding it... They had to accelerate the harvest to avoid botrytis caused by the abundant rain during the harvest. This is a blend of 80% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacho and the remaining 5% Graciano and Mazuelo, fermented in old oak vats with their yeasts and matured in neutral American oak barrels for no less than five years. It's elegant and nuanced, developed but young for its age, with a seamless palate and very fine tannins, with energy and light. It has 13.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.3 and 6.7 grams of acidity, notable parameters of freshness. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! Burnished with plums, mulberries, cherries and plums embraced by a casing of generous vanilla oak and creamy texture, with scores of chalky tannins and a tobacco length. - Decanter World Wine Awards

95 Points! From a slightly more challenging year for the region, the 2020 Muga Selección Especial checks in as 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, and the rest Graciano and Mazuelo that's aged six months in new French barrique, followed by two full years in older French and American (70/30) oak barriques. Rocking levels of cassis and black raspberry-like fruit as well as graphite, spicy wood, violets, and lead pencil notes all shine on the nose, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a round, layered mouthfeel, and silky tannins. It's already hard to resist. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

94 Points! Their most gastronomical red is the 2020 Selección Especial, a blend of the four traditional varieties from Rioja—Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano—fermented in oak vats. Half of the destemmed grapes were put through an optical sorting machine. The wine matured in French oak barrels, 40% of them new, for 26 months and was racked every eight to nine months. 2020 was a warm year, and the wine comes in at 14.5% alcohol, with a pH of 3.56 and 5.75 grams of acidity. Manu Muga likes 2020 very much and says it's a year that suffers because it's in between 2019 and 2021. This is also a textbook example of this wine, a little more developed and tertiary, with generous spice and toast and a palate with more grip. The tannins are not as precise and elegant as those from 2021 (yeah, it suffers in the comparison), but it's a very worthy wine. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

93 Points! The 2020 Selección Especial Muga is Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. This aged for 26 months in 40% new French oak. Concentrated, with aromas of sour cherry, plum, fine oak, cedar and herbal notes, it's dry in the mouth with plush tannins and well-defined fruit. The tackiness adds structure and promises good aging potential.-  Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous

95 Points! Considered a superior vintage, high in quality and quantity, the balanced, medium-bodied 2016 Gran Reserva underscores the point, made from estate bush-trained vineyards in clay-limestone soils. The Tempranillo is brightened by 2% Graciano, resulting in a smooth, spicy, elegant expression of leathery black fruit and roasted coffee, with the silky tannins and structure to age another 25 years. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

93 Points! The 2016 Gran Reserva, one of the few years when they got quantity and quality: the grapes ripened thoroughly and the wines reveal great balance. This is very clean and still young, only starting to develop more complex tertiary aromas of forest floor and truffles, still pretty fruit driven, with very fine and elegant tannins. The Tempranillo was complemented with 2% Graciano, and they try to select the grapes from north-facing vineyards, which have more freshness and aging potential. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

93 Points! A lovely red, with weight and concentration to the creamed black cherry, plum skin, mineral, lavender and herb notes, plus fine, sculpted tannins. This also shows a sense of poise and fluid grace. Long and fragrant on the lightly spiced finish. Tempranillo and Graciano. Drink now through 2036. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! This shows dark fruit with floral notes of violets and a hint of graphite. Medium- to full-bodied with firm, polished tannins, dark fruit character and a long, deep, persistent finish. This comes exclusively from vineyards planted in the village of Abalos. Drink now or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93+ Points! The serious and austere new 2020 Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Ábalos was produced with grapes on marl and limestone from the Marqués de Legarda, who is mentioned on the label. It's a blend of 73% Tempranillo, 17% Graciano, 6% Garnacha and 4% other varieties, presented in a straight Bordeaux bottle. It reflects more the character of Haro than the Rioja Alavesa, wines with more Graciano. It's medium to full-bodied with 14.17% alcohol and has fine-grained, chalky tannins. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! Black berries, dark mushrooms, cloves and slate on the nose follow through to the palate with a medium body, soft and silky tannins and an attractive finish. Lovely tannin tension at the end. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

92+ Points! The 2020 Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de San Vicente de la Sonsierra is more fruit-driven, primary and perfumed than most of the other bottlings, juicier, with a sensation of higher ripeness (despite having lower alcohol, 13.79%) and slightly dusty tannins. The breakdown here was 88% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha and 2% other varieties. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

95 Points! The 2020 Lindes de Remelluri Viñedos de Salinillas de Buradón, a parish of Labastida, was produced with a blend of 91% Tempranillo, 4% Garnacha and 5% other varieties from south-facing vineyards behind the Sierra de la Cantabria, the last vineyards that they recovered on quartz salt, gypsum and red clay soils. These are the last grapes to be picked, and the wine has 14.22% alcohol but doesn't show any heat. It comes through as serious, shy and austere, a little closed at first. The tannins are a little rustic, but the wine has a strong mineral streak that made it my favorite from the lot. - 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