Wine Advocate (96)

I tasted the 2013 Pingus one week before the wine was to be bottled, but one never knows. I tasted the 2012 under the same circumstances last year, and after my tasting, Peter Sisseck decided the wine needed some more time, so the élevage was extended and the bottling delayed. I was told this should be very close to the bottled version. The nose is aromatic, expressive and open, quite perfumed and subtle, with no traces of oak (the wine now ages in used barriques); even the spices are very much in the background. The Pingus vineyards behaved quite well in a difficult vintage, as great vineyards are a lot more homogeneous, so the vines are very balanced: the two vineyards used for Pingus, San Cristobal and Barroso, were planted in 1929 with two different massale selections. The palate is also approachable and gentle, with very good acidity and very fine tannins, elegance and character. I think there will be very few (or none!) wines in Ribera in 2013 like this Pingus. Well done! Three weeks later, I received an email letting me know that the wine had been bottled, so I proceeded to taste the bottle version, which showed what the sample promised. 2013 will be a vintage, that in Ribera del Duero, will show the differences of the work in the vineyards and what they do at Pingus clearly paid off. Even after the recent operation, the wine is harmonious and feels very balanced; there is no dizziness and it keeps the poise. A real triumph for the vintage. 6,600 bottles were filled at the end of July 2015.

Wine Advocate (100)

I don't think I've ever tasted a wine more recently bottled than the 2014 Pingus, which was bottled in the morning and I tasted it that very same evening! Peter Sisseck compares this to the 1995, the first vintage ever produced, when he learned that when you have such perfect grapes, you should do very little to the wine. He's been trying to replicate that first vintage, but there's nothing you can do to force it, as it has to be the natural conditions of the vintage that bring those grapes. What he also learned with the 1995 was that with wines like that, you need a long and slow aging in oak; so for the 2014, he decided to do a little longer élevage—three winters in barrel—but in 100% used barrels, something he started in 2012. If it would have been new oak, as in the past, it would have been impossible to have such extended aging without marking the wine too much and possibly forever. The wine was quite tannic to start with, but it was racked every six months, and in that way they have managed to tame those tannins without getting the wine tired, as the aging itself was quite reductive. The nose is quite harmonious and open, but maybe not very expressive, a normal thing considering the extremely short bottle age it had (hours!), but it should gain precision in bottle. In instances like this, you have to guide yourself by the palate. And it's precisely on the palate where you find that texture that is almost unique to Ribera del Duero when it's as perfect as this. It's very different from other zones, a velvety mouthfeel and a surrounding sensation of comfort, incredibly long. The tannins are ultra fine and with that subtle chalkiness of the limestone soils, which also added to the tastiness and the supple aftertaste. In short, I cannot think of a way of improving this Pingus other, than getting a magnum instead of a regular bottle! Congratulations, Peter Sisseck! 4,800 bottles were filled on January 16th of 2017, a slightly shorter production than the average, because part of the vines were hit by hail and didn't make it into the final blend. Now stay tuned for 2015 and 2016.

Wine Advocate (99)

Peter Sisseck was ecstatic about the quality of the 2015 Pingus. Since he no longer uses any new oak—and hasn't since 2012—the élevage in used wood is extended to 23 or 24 months. This is the first vintage certified as biodynamic from Demeter. We poured the wine and took half an hour to get to it, as the wine was very closed at first and opened up very slowly in the glass. Little by little, the nose started showing a floral character, what I consider the perfume of great Ribera del Duero, the elegant part that compensates the powerful nature of the wines and gives the finesse to the best wines. The wine has been very consistent in the last few vintages, as Sisseck reckons the old but balanced vines (they started working in biodynamics in 2000) cushion the vintage differences more than other younger vineyards. These vines were planted in 1929, and they have always been farmed organically and in a traditional way. This is truly outstanding. In a way, it made me think of 2010, even if they are very different years. It was bottled in August 2017, and there are some 6,500 bottles of this gem. Even if very young, it already drinks well. Great wines tend to be drinkable throughout their life...

Wine Advocate (100)

I was really looking forward to the bottled version of the 2018 Pingus after a great showing of the cask sample last year. Part of the wine matured in 20,000-liter oak casks, so it's not all barrique. This is the first time they used the vats, and based on the results, Sisseck thinks in the future Pingus will be around 50% in oak vats. The Pingus vines were planted in 1929 in two different sectors of the village of La Horra, Barroso and San Cristobal and contain some 2% other varieties. The vineyards are certified organic and biodynamic and are manicured like few vineyards in Spain. The wine is subtle and harmonious, elegant and insinuating, with all the components in very good balance. This is precise and pure; Sisseck is thorough and meticulous, and the wine shows that precision. This follows the line of the 2016, showing very well even if it was bottled only one month before I tasted it. 9,300 bottles were filled in August 2020.

Wine Advocate (100)

I was really looking forward to the bottled version of the 2018 Pingus after a great showing of the cask sample last year. Part of the wine matured in 20,000-liter oak casks, so it's not all barrique. This is the first time they used the vats, and based on the results, Sisseck thinks in the future Pingus will be around 50% in oak vats. The Pingus vines were planted in 1929 in two different sectors of the village of La Horra, Barroso and San Cristobal and contain some 2% other varieties. The vineyards are certified organic and biodynamic and are manicured like few vineyards in Spain. The wine is subtle and harmonious, elegant and insinuating, with all the components in very good balance. This is precise and pure; Sisseck is thorough and meticulous, and the wine shows that precision. This follows the line of the 2016, showing very well even if it was bottled only one month before I tasted it. 9,300 bottles were filled in August 2020.

Wine Advocate (98-100)

The subtle, austere and nuanced sample of the 2021 Pingus I tasted was harmonious, balanced and elegant. It's basically pure Tempranillo from La Horra that is young but surprisingly harmonious, very precise, clean, pure, with no apparent oak despite being a barrel sample. The wine is maturing in barrels that were previously used for PSI; Sisseck purchased a couple of 1,500-liter oak vats that he's using for PSI, and he still doesn't know if he's going to age part of Pingus in it. Purity, elegance and precision. The wine is medium-bodied, the tannins super fine and the mouthfeel is velvety, with a restrained 13.8% alcohol. There should be around 8,200 bottles, and the expectation today is to bottle it around June 2023. I tasted the barrel samples from 2021, a dry year in Ribera del Duero, with a little rain in June, but it's a vintage for which Peter Sisseck felt the key was the low temperatures at night. So, 2021 is cooler than 2020; and in 2021, they harvested one week earlier than in 2020, earlier than the majority of wineries in Ribera del Duero, as he finished when the most hadn't even started. All the wines are between 13.5% and 14% alcohol (the Flor was a little higher, 14.2%, with 20% new barrels). However, Sisseck still classifies 2021 as a warm vintage, following the path of 2015 and 2016, perhaps a little more austere, perhaps the tannins are a little more noticeable and the wines are going to benefit from the élevage, for Sisseck a more classical vintage. But it's not a super warm vintage like 2009 or 2015, perhaps more in the line of the 2018 with more punch, closer to the 2016 and 2018 than 2015. But it's going to be a heterogeneous vintage in Ribera del Duero, despite what the official classification of the vintage by the appellation might have been (excellent, nonetheless!). I think the 2021s here are incredibly elegant. The first year when they harvested early was 2016, and this is the evolution within that era. In 2021, all wines, except PSI, are certified organic, and they used the new barrels that had previously been used for PSI, so no new oak in Pingus again. Amelia was fermented with 50% full clusters; it's a rare and limited wine from a single vineyard that is sold exclusively in the US. There might be a new wine in 2021, a textured red with grip and good volume, a wine with 20% Garnacha fermented with 25% full clusters. It's not clear what they are going to do with it, the result of a half hectare of five-year-old vines Sisseck planted with Tinta del País and Garnacha. There are four (used) barrels of this. Time will tell. ...

Wine Advocate (98-100)

The subtle, austere and nuanced sample of the 2021 Pingus I tasted was harmonious, balanced and elegant. It's basically pure Tempranillo from La Horra that is young but surprisingly harmonious, very precise, clean, pure, with no apparent oak despite being a barrel sample. The wine is maturing in barrels that were previously used for PSI; Sisseck purchased a couple of 1,500-liter oak vats that he's using for PSI, and he still doesn't know if he's going to age part of Pingus in it. Purity, elegance and precision. The wine is medium-bodied, the tannins super fine and the mouthfeel is velvety, with a restrained 13.8% alcohol. There should be around 8,200 bottles, and the expectation today is to bottle it around June 2023. I tasted the barrel samples from 2021, a dry year in Ribera del Duero, with a little rain in June, but it's a vintage for which Peter Sisseck felt the key was the low temperatures at night. So, 2021 is cooler than 2020; and in 2021, they harvested one week earlier than in 2020, earlier than the majority of wineries in Ribera del Duero, as he finished when the most hadn't even started. All the wines are between 13.5% and 14% alcohol (the Flor was a little higher, 14.2%, with 20% new barrels). However, Sisseck still classifies 2021 as a warm vintage, following the path of 2015 and 2016, perhaps a little more austere, perhaps the tannins are a little more noticeable and the wines are going to benefit from the élevage, for Sisseck a more classical vintage. But it's not a super warm vintage like 2009 or 2015, perhaps more in the line of the 2018 with more punch, closer to the 2016 and 2018 than 2015. But it's going to be a heterogeneous vintage in Ribera del Duero, despite what the official classification of the vintage by the appellation might have been (excellent, nonetheless!). I think the 2021s here are incredibly elegant. The first year when they harvested early was 2016, and this is the evolution within that era. In 2021, all wines, except PSI, are certified organic, and they used the new barrels that had previously been used for PSI, so no new oak in Pingus again. Amelia was fermented with 50% full clusters; it's a rare and limited wine from a single vineyard that is sold exclusively in the US. There might be a new wine in 2021, a textured red with grip and good volume, a wine with 20% Garnacha fermented with 25% full clusters. It's not clear what they are going to do with it, the result of a half hectare of five-year-old vines Sisseck planted with Tinta del País and Garnacha. There are four (used) barrels of this. Time will tell. ...

Vinous (90)

Good medium ruby. Explosive aromas of black cherry, roasted tomato, olive, game and nutty oak. Sweet, lush and gamey; a bit less densely packed than the young 2001 but still stuffed with fruit. Shows a syrah-like animal aspect.

Vinous (93)

Inky ruby. Potent, mineral- and smoke-accented dark berry and violet scents show excellent clarity and lift. Silky and seamless in texture, offering sweet blackberry and boysenberry flavors and notes of spicecake and floral pastilles. Closes with strong thrust, appealing sweetness and sneaky, slow-mounting tannins. Very suave, even now, but this wine will be much better in another five to seven years.

James Suckling (95)

Almost black-purple color. Dense black fruits aromas, fine oak and elegant dry tannins that are beautifuly integrated in the rich body. The long finish is already graceful thanks to the spot-on balance. Drink now.

Vinous (95)

Deep violet. Smoke- and spice-accented dark berries and cherry on the highly perfumed nose. Lively bitter cherry, blueberry and violet pastille flavors stain the palate, showing fine definition and a supporting spine of tangy acidity. Opens up and deepens on the strikingly long, incisive finish, which features gently chewy tannins and lingering florality.

James Suckling (94-95)

A chunky and pretty young wine with blueberries and blackberries and chocolate. Chewy tannins that are polished and fresh. Full-bodied. Round and sexy. Shows lots of potential.

Decanter (96)

In the shadow of Pingus? Only, perhaps, if you taste it after the grand vin, because Flor de Pingus is another haute-couture masterpiece in its own right, again with that highly polished tannic texture and layers of dark but succulent and perfectly ripe mulberry fruit, suggestions of something darker and savoury emerging, but for now this is just a gloriously sensual young wine with a pronounced sense of place. Biodynamic.

James Suckling (97)

Blackberries, black cherries and hot crushed stones with cement and black licorice. Subtle yet complex aromas. Medium to full body and an exquisite texture, with intense tannins and a long, flavorful finish. The verve and mouth-feel is luxurious and captivating. This is very structured. Try after 2024.

An expertly crafted embodiment of Spanish winemaking tradition, the 'Pittacum Bierzo Aurea Mencia 2017' distinguished itself in the world of fine wines. Emanating from the heart of northwest Spain's Bierzo region, known for its slate-filled soils and microclimate conducive to wine production, this exquisite beverage is a brainchild of the esteemed Pittacum Winery renowned for its painstaking attention to detail and commitment to authenticity.

The wine itself experiments with the local Mencia grape, aging it meticulously in French oak barrels for an impressive 15 months. This process, carefully curated by seasoned wine experts, gifts the 'Pittacum Bierzo Aurea Mencia 2017' with its distinct complexities and depth. Its compelling palate boasts of vibrant cherries, entangled with subtle hints of liquorice and mineral undertones, a testament to its rich terroir.

A thoughtful culmination of indigenous craft and modern technique, the 'Pittacum Bierzo Aurea Mencia 2017' proves itself to be an unforgettable Spanish jewel, perfect for any discerning connoisseur's collection.

Wine Advocate (93)

La Gundiñas is the wine that shows the most differences between 2017 and 2018. The 2017 La Vizcaína Las Gundiñas is dark and concentrated, a wine of sun, while the 2018 is delicate and feels like a mini Bonnes Mares! This is quite like a Cornas—meaty, juicy, a little reticent and powerful, with abundant tannins. This is one wine that behaves better in 2017 than in 2016. This is a plot that has ups and down; it might be more regular in the future, as they finally bought it in 2018. Some 5,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2019.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2020 La Vizcaína La del Vivo is super harmonious, tasty and balanced. The wine matured in two 2,500-liter oak foudres, and a small part fermented and matured in amphorae with skins. It's varietal and expressive and comes from two plots, one with sandy soils and another one in Cacabelos with some boulders. There's always a small percentage of Doña Blanca in the blend. It's very dry and has a chalky texture. 6,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2021.

Wine Advocate (95)

I was impressed by the 2017 La Vizcaína El Rapolao, but the warm vintage was very good for a warmer vineyard like El Rapolao. This is hands-down my favorite of the 2017s from La Vizcaína, the wine that shows more freshness. It's harmonious and perhaps was harvested a little earlier than the others. Like the other wines from the range, this 2017 has more color than the 2018, as well as more power and a little more concentration, and it's also denser than the 2018, with tannins that are grittier and a little drier. But if I didn't have the 2018 next to this, I would only be praising it, because the 2017 is truly impressive, all in place and simply one step up in power and all the rest to keep the balance. 10,000 bottles were filled in May 2019. This is a late-budding vineyard, and it didn't suffer the effect of the spring hail from the year.

Wine Advocate (95)

Raúl Pérez has purchased the plot of El Rapolao that he uses for La Vizcaína, close to 1.3 hectares, and they expect the wine to have a big change as they are taking over the viticulture and want to lower yields. The 2019 La Vizcaína El Rapolao has plenty of tannin and is more concentrated than the 2020. 5,000 bottles produced.

Wine Advocate (96)

There is more freshness in the 2020 La Vizcaína El Rapolao, where I even found notes of eucalyptus. It's medium-bodied and has fine tannins, very tasty and balanced. There are two new plots in 2020, so they produced some 7,500 bottles. He wants to reach 20,000 bottles here, and there will be a white Rapolao from a plot that he planted with Godello.

Vinous (94)

Shimmering violet. Intensely perfumed aromas of dark berries, cherry pit, incense, exotic spices and pungent flowers, along with a smoky mineral flourish that builds in the glass. Densely packed and chewy on the palate, showing excellent depth and bright mineral lift to the sappy black and blue fruit, spicecake and violet pastille flavors. Gains energy with air and finishes impressively long and juicy, polished tannins building slowly and harmonizing with the wine's mineral-tinged fruit.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2019 La Vizcaína La Vitoriana comes from sandy soils and mostly north-facing vines, delivering elegant and floral wines. It's very young and fruit-driven, perhaps not as complex as the 2020. All of these reds are around 13.5% alcohol, medium-bodied and quite harmonious. 2019 was one of the larger crops, and there are 7,000 bottles of this.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2020 La Vizcaína La Vitoriana matured mostly in a troncoconic oak foudre and had a very short time in barrel. This wine has more Alicante Bouschet in the blend than others, and they didn't include the white grapes in the vineyard. But against all logic, the wine has more finesse than the 2019. 6,000 bottles produced.