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Wine Advocate (96)
The Gran Reserva from 2014 had also been bottled for over one year when I tasted the wines, so I included the 2014 Peñas Aladas Gran Reserva in this report, although the wine might take some time to reach the market. This is a rare wine, matured in oak barrels for 45 months and produced in limited quantities in a painfully slow process to create a wine with very high aging potential that, even when released some five or six years after the harvest, feels too young and a little raw. It feels a lot gentler and approachable than the 2013 I tasted next to it; it's more aromatic and expressive, complex and at the same time easy to understand. The palate is also approachable and tender, with very fine-grained tannins, when in reality, it's very powerful and tannic, but the balance is terrific. It should develop beautifully in bottle, and the Ribera character, which is there, should be even more evident with a little more time. 3,051 bottles and 43 magnums were filled unfined and unfiltered by hand in June 2018.Inc. VAT£1,319.15 -
Wine Advocate (98)
Their Gran Reserva style red 2015 Peñas Aladas Gran Reserva had a very long aging in barrel, a total of 54 months, including six months of malolactic fermentation. This comes from a myriad of small plots of some of the oldest vines in the village of La Aguilera in the same zone that names the wine, at 870 to 890 meters in altitude. The valley receives very cold winds from the Duero River, and the vineyards are surrounded by junipers, pines and oak trees, which makes it up to three degrees Celsius lower than the rest of the village, one of the coldest places in the whole of Ribera del Duero. The soils have a layer of sand that is gradually mixed with clay until around one meter deep, and then there's a layer of marl and limestone, a textbook soil for the vine. 2015 was a powerful vintage, and there was some frost that also delivered a little more concentration. The wine has an old Ribera del Duero style, with some rusticity and lots of power, energy and concentration but with great balance. It has plenty of fine tannins and lots of chalkiness. This should be very long lived. 2,223 bottles and 41 magnums were hand bottled unfiltered and unfined in May 2020.Inc. VAT£1,089.95 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The youth, freshness, balance and harmony of the 2016 Peñas Aladas Gran Reserva is gobsmacking. The wine is a little shy, insinuating, reticent and a little closed, and it feels younger than it is. It comes from a collection of small plots of some of the oldest vines in the village of La Aguilera in the lieu-dit, or "paraje," that names the wine, in a small valley surrounded by pine, holm and juniper trees, where there is a cold draft of air and the temperature is lower than in the rest of the village. The soils are sandy and intermixed with clay on a marl mother rock. The plants are mostly Tempranillo, but as they are very old vines, there's always a field blend of other varieties—Albillo Mayor, Monastrell, Garnacha, Bobal and Cariñena—all fermented together with full clusters that were foot trodden in concrete vats and indigenous yeasts. Malolactic was in barrel and lasted for 11 months, while the élevage was extended to a total of 55 months (almost five years!). After all this time in barrels, the wine is not oaky at all; it's floral and perfumed, elegant, nuanced and layered. The texture is silky, and it's medium-bodied, with moderate ripeness, 14% alcohol and very good freshness denoted by a pH of 3.41. It has fine tannins that make it nicely textured and fine-boned, with subtle minerality. This should be veeeeeery long lived, as it has the stuffing, all the ingredients and the balance between them to make old bones. Amazing juice. 3,591 bottles and 51 magnums were filled in April 2021.Inc. VAT£1,073.15 -
Wine Advocate (99)
They didn't produce the 2017 vintage of the single-vineyard wine from some of their oldest vines, so after the 2016 they jumped to the 2018 Peñas Aladas Gran Reserva. It has a very intense nose of licorice, flowers (decayed violets), wet chalk, spices (nutmeg), some nuts (pecan) and a volatile twist with great freshness. It matured in French oak barrels for 53 months. It has a fine thread, a chalky and dry feeling, fine tannins and a dry and very tasty finish that's almost salty. It has all the components and the balance with them to develop nicely in bottle. It should age effortlessly for 30 years. It's very impressive, but it doesn't reach the elegance of the 2016. 1,729 bottles and 42 magnums produced. It was bottled in March 2023.Inc. VAT£1,217.15 -
Jeb Dunnuck (95)
The 2015 Reserva checks in a Tempranillo-dominated red with 15% comprising a field blend of Garnacha, Bobal, and Albillo, all aged 35 months in barrel. Gorgeous blueberries, smoked blackberries, roasted herbs, chocolate, lead pencil, and graphite notes dominate the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a concentrated, powerful texture, lots of tannins, and a great finish. It certainly shows the warmer style of the vintage in its texture and tannins, yet it stays balanced and offers notable freshness as well as a great finish. It has another decade of prime drinking.Inc. VAT£649.72 -
Wine Advocate (97)
Quite different from the 2015 was the 2016 Reserva, a red from a cooler year with good yields, so they were able to increase production of this wine over twofold and increase the quality! It took some seven months to complete fermentation, and the élevage in barrel lasted some 29 months. It has an incredible nose, violets and something musky, intriguing, complex and nuanced, mysterious and difficult to define, with some notes reminiscent of soy sauce. The palate is seamless and with terrific balance, a silky texture and very fine but chalky tannins. This is an amazing Ribera del Duero. 18,834 bottles and 519 magnums produced. It was bottled in April 2019.Inc. VAT£139.72 -
Wine Advocate (97)
Quite different from the 2015 was the 2016 Reserva, a red from a cooler year with good yields, so they were able to increase production of this wine over twofold and increase the quality! It took some seven months to complete fermentation, and the élevage in barrel lasted some 29 months. It has an incredible nose, violets and something musky, intriguing, complex and nuanced, mysterious and difficult to define, with some notes reminiscent of soy sauce. The palate is seamless and with terrific balance, a silky texture and very fine but chalky tannins. This is an amazing Ribera del Duero. 18,834 bottles and 519 magnums produced. It was bottled in April 2019.Inc. VAT£401.15 -
Tim Atkin MW (96)
Produced in what Jorge Monzón calls the "tragic", frost-hit 2017 vintage, when yields were down 85%, this shows that, in the right hands, what survived was often very good indeed. Marrying Tinto Fino with 5% Monastrell and 2% Albillo Mayor, all of it aged in old wood, this is herbal, chalky and intense, with stem ginger and wild strawberry flavours, fine tannins and impressive length.Inc. VAT£415.55 -
Wine Advocate (97)
2017 was a low-yielding year, so I also tasted the 2018 Reserva, their flagship red wine that wants to be a representation of the village of La Aguilera—fine, serious and elegant. It's 95% Tempranillo with the remaining grapes found interplanted in their oldest vineyards at an average of 880 meters in altitude on limestone, clay and sandy soils. All the clusters ferment together with indigenous yeasts in concrete, where they are foot trodden, and malolactic was carried out very slowly (11 months) in oak barrels where the wine matured for a total of 27 months. It has a somewhat shy nose but is very elegant. The wine was recently bottled, and that can make it a little closed and subtle, and it clearly improves with air as it sits in the glass. It's still young, and the palate reveals lots of energy; the flavors are very pure and the wine precise and delineated. The tannins are very fine and provide for a chalky texture and an almost salty twist in the finish. This is very in line with the 2016. 15,250 bottle and 101 magnums produced. It was bottled in February 2021.Inc. VAT£180.52 -
Wine Advocate (97)
2017 was a low-yielding year, so I also tasted the 2018 Reserva, their flagship red wine that wants to be a representation of the village of La Aguilera—fine, serious and elegant. It's 95% Tempranillo with the remaining grapes found interplanted in their oldest vineyards at an average of 880 meters in altitude on limestone, clay and sandy soils. All the clusters ferment together with indigenous yeasts in concrete, where they are foot trodden, and malolactic was carried out very slowly (11 months) in oak barrels where the wine matured for a total of 27 months. It has a somewhat shy nose but is very elegant. The wine was recently bottled, and that can make it a little closed and subtle, and it clearly improves with air as it sits in the glass. It's still young, and the palate reveals lots of energy; the flavors are very pure and the wine precise and delineated. The tannins are very fine and provide for a chalky texture and an almost salty twist in the finish. This is very in line with the 2016. 15,250 bottle and 101 magnums produced. It was bottled in February 2021.Inc. VAT£359.15 -
Wine Advocate (96)
2019 was a warm and dry low-yielding year, somewhat similar to 2015, and the 2019 Reserva could be the modern version of the 2015—a round, lush and approachable Reserva that is perfumed and fruit-driven, with spices in the background. It's a hedonist cuvée of 95% Tempranillo and 5% other grapes from some of the oldest grapes in the village. It fermented in concrete with indigenous yeasts followed by a slow malolactic in 228-liter French oak barrels, mostly used, where the wine matured for 35 months. It reveals very good integration of the oak that is neatly folded into the wine. It shows the tannic structure of the 2019 vintage. 23,875 bottles and 430 magnums produced. It was bottled in September 2022.Inc. VAT£365.15 -
Wine Advocate (97)
The nose of the 2020 Reserva is beautiful, perfumed and floral, showy and expressive, really open. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with fine-boned and very fine and chalky tannins. It has 14% alcohol, not a shy red, with power and concentration, freshness and terrific balance. It has a long finish with a touch of licorice and violets. It has to be among the best vintages for Reserva. 2020 was a very good year for Dominio del Águila. It matured in French oak barrels for 33 months. 38,221 bottles and 868 magnums produced. It was bottled in July 2023. It is young but approachable and should age beautifully.Inc. VAT£381.95 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The pale, perfumed and elegant red 2019 Dominio Do Bibei is mostly Brancellao with 7% of Mouratón and Grao Negro. It's nuanced and subtle, layered and complex, with a seamless palate, beautifully textured and rich with deep flavors and a fragrant and focused finish. It has clout, tension, balance, perfume, power and elegance. Stunning!Inc. VAT£155.58 -
Decanter (97)
This dark, relatively tight-knit Rioja proves that the Gran Reserva category doesn't just indicate the supremely well-aged, relaxed and reposeful style of Rioja, but can also serve to draw drinkers' attention to outstanding wines of density and tenacity which still have a way to run along their potential ageing trajectories. Look out for dark, urgent fruits here sweetened and back-lit by cunningly angled oak, with intense, deep, fresh and searching flavours in which the 10% of Graciano seems to be working overtime. A Rioja of innate drama.Inc. VAT£166.32 -
Jancis Robinson (18)
95% Syrah, 5% Viognier, vineyards at 950 m above sea level. Aged for 12 months in a mixture of 650- and 500-litre used French oak. Spectacular and intense dark fruit on the nose! Blackcurrant, blackberries, cassis, violets, smoke and minerality. On the palate, it is rich and deep but not massive. It has mouth-watering acidity, ripe tannins, and elegant oak integration. I find this vintage more balanced than previous ones. The wine has precise fruit expression. 2018 has been the greatest year for this wine. (FC)Inc. VAT£179.98 -
Inc. VAT£457.63 -
Experience the allure of El Paraguas El Paraguas Atlantico 2019, a distinct white wine hailing from the esteemed vineyards of Ribeiro, Spain. Renowned producer, El Paraguas, has perfected a captivating blend of Treixadura, Albariño, and Godello grapes, offering a harmonised blend of refreshing minerality, crisp acidity, and delicate fruit notes. Sealed with a kiss from the breezy Atlantic climate, each aromatic sip of El Paraguas El Paraguas Atlantico 2019 encapsulates the heart and soul of the region's unique terroir.
El Paraguas is committed to organic farming, ensuring each vine expresses quintessential character and flavour. The wine is delicately aged on the lees for an added depth, resulting in a sophistication that is truly remarkable. With meticulous quality control and a passion for winemaking honed over countless vintages, El Paraguas El Paraguas Atlantico 2019 is a stellar embodiment of premium Spanish white wines.
Inc. VAT£275.09 -
(6x75cl) 2020The El Paraguas El Paraguas Atlantico 2020 hails from the prestigious vineyards of Rías Baixas, Spain. This elegant white wine from the notable producer, Fento Wines, presents a compelling blend of Albariño, Treixadura, Caiño Blanco, and Loureira. The delightfully refined palate captures the essence of region's terroir, with subtle fruit flavours delicately interwoven with an exceptional mineral edge. Employing sustainable viticulture practices, the grapes are harvested manually, fermented in used French oak barrels, and matured for 5 months on lees to augment the expressive nature of the wine. With its appealing freshness and graceful complexity, El Paraguas El Paraguas Atlantico 2020 is a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship of winemaker Eulogio Pomares. The bottle perfectly encapsulates the finesse and intensity of Galician wines, inviting the true connoisseur to savour an exquisite experience from the first pour to the lasting finish.
Inc. VAT£401.64 -
The Emilio Moro Malleolus 2018's complexity and elegance is a testament to Emilio Moro's 120 years of winemaking experience. This fine Ribera del Duero, Spain wine utilises Tinta del País grapes, with clusters sourced entirely from 50-year-old vines across their choicest plots. The deep, ruby-red Malleolus 2018 undergoes 18 months of aging in French oak barrels, revealing notes of black fruit, violet, and licorice melding with chocolate and spice undertones, embodying unadulterated power with exquisite finesse. These elements converge to provide an extraordinarily long, stunning finish on the palate. Emilio Moro meticulously vintages the Malleolus 2018 using traditional and innovative techniques, unfailingly retaining the phenotype and identity of their home soil. A majestic embodiment of the quintessence of Ribera del Duero, the Emilio Moro Malleolus 2018 provides an unrivalled wine tasting experience for discerning oenophiles.
Inc. VAT£298.18 -
Wine Advocate (94+)
2020 was a great vintage in the Mediterranean, and the 2020 Albahra, a blend of 70% Garnacha Tintorera from the zone of Almansa and 30% Moravia Agria from Manchuela, showed better than ever. The two grapes fermented separately with part of full clusters in concrete and with indigenous yeasts. The Garnacha matured in concrete and the Moravia in neutral 228-liter barrels for eight months. It has 13% alcohol and good freshness, a fine thread and round tannins. It's juicy and supple—the harvest was easy with great weather, very different from 2019— and the acidity of the Moravia is more polished. The wine has a bright ruby color and is aromatic and clean, precise and attractive. It's medium-bodied and silky with very round tannins. They compare it with 2017. This is one of the most incredible bargains from Spain. Drink or hold. 59,000 bottles and 750 magnums produced. It was bottled in July 2021.Inc. VAT£289.61 -
(1x75cl) 2018Wine Advocate (94)
The red varietal Listán Prieto (a.k.a. País, Criolla Chica, Mission) 2018 Benje Tinto is from different vineyards in Santiago del Teide in the south of Tenerife at altitudes ranging between 900 and 1,000 meters. Half of the wine was kept in concrete tanks, and the rest was put in well-seasoned, neutral 228-liter oak barrels for a period of eight months. There are some flinty/gun powder aromas when you open the bottle, giving it a slightly reductive personality, but it's perhaps the volcanic character coming through. This is spicy, wild and characterful, with flowers and blood orange notes. It has a light to medium-bodied palate with bright flavors, a wine with lots of light, very fine tannins and a mixture of wild fruit and herbs with the volcanic soils. To me, this is the benchmark Listán Prieto/País together with the Santa Cruz de Coya from Roberto Henríquez from Chile. 16,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2019.Inc. VAT£118.40 -
(6x75cl) 2022Wine Advocate (95)
The 2022 La Santa de Úrsula is balsamic and reveals notes of rose petals and talcum powder. The fruit is darker (riper), and it has a juicy palate with fine tannins and a long, lingering finish. 8,000 bottles and 100 magnums produced. It was bottled in July 2023.Inc. VAT£233.44 -
(6x75cl) 2020Wine Advocate (95)
The 2020 Migan is a red from La Orotava and was produced with Listán Negro grapes from the village of La Perdoma, whose ancient name was Migan. It comes from four plots—Montijo (40% of the grapes), Tío Luis (30%), La Habanera (20%) and Las Suertes (10%)—on red volcanic soils and at different altitudes, between 350 and 600 meters above sea level, where altitude defines the character of the plot. In 2020, they didn't use the San Antonio vineyard that was used in previous vintages; it has been replaced by Montijo. 2020 was an early harvest, and the grapes fermented by plot, always with indigenous yeasts, and 70% of the wine matured in neutral 500- and 600-liter oak barrels, while the wine from Tío Luis matured in concrete. The change in vineyards (they abandoned the one with more clay at lower altitude and increased in higher altitude and with less clay) has given the wine an extra kick. These wines reward time in bottle, and they need at least one year. Right now, this feels a little closed and tight, but it has great freshness and finer tannins and, in the long run, should make a better wine than the 2019. 11,500 bottles and 300 magnums were produced. It was bottled in December 2021.Inc. VAT£229.84 -
James Suckling (98)
Nervy, nicely funky, precise and mineral nose with a “protective” flintiness and an alluring peppery edge to the wild berries and pomegranate. Fine, dissolved tannins with a mealy, dusty texture, tapping into a super tangy, fresh palate full of grapefruit zest and wild berries. Really long and irresistible now, but can age.Inc. VAT£265.84 -
(6x75cl) 2022Wine Advocate (94-95)
The 2022 Migan feels very fruit-driven, open and expressive. It's the final blend of the wine, but it still wasn't bottled when I tasted it in early November. The wine feels quite harmonious, juicy and round, with moderate acidity. It's tender and young, still too primary.Inc. VAT£257.44 -
(1x75cl) 2021Inc. VAT£99.85 -
(6x75cl) 2021Inc. VAT£506.04
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(6x75cl) 2022
Wine Advocate (98)
The heat from late August didn't affect much the grapes that were used for the 2022 Palo Blanco, as they are picked much later than the grapes from other zones of Tenerife. So, the 2022 vintage in Los Realejos is a lot fresher than in Taganana or La Orotava. In fact, I liked the palate of this 2022 better than that of the 2021; it's vibrant, lovely and fresh. The nose is still a little reductive, and the notes of flowers and herbs take time to emerge. 13,000 bottles and 167 magnums produced. It was bottled in July 2023.Inc. VAT£257.44 -
(6x75cl) 2023
Wine Advocate (98+)
The grapes for the 2023 Palo Blanco were harvested earlier than ever, picked even earlier than the grapes from Taganana. It was a warm year, but the wine feels more like it's from a cool climate; it has a moderate 11.5% alcohol and is volcanic and less reductive than in previous years, fine-boned and sharp, with a vibrant palate, effervescent acidity (7.1 grams and a pH of 3.05) and a dry chalkiness that gives it salinity. It's approachable but should also age in bottle. 13,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2024.Inc. VAT£272.66 -
(6x75cl) 2022Inc. VAT£264.80
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Wine Advocate (96)
The Gran Reserva from 2014 had also been bottled for over one year when I tasted the wines, so I included the 2014 Peñas Aladas Gran Reserva in this report, although the wine might take some time to reach the market. This is a rare wine, matured in oak barrels for 45 months and produced in limited quantities in a painfully slow process to create a wine with very high aging potential that, even when released some five or six years after the harvest, feels too young and a little raw. It feels a lot gentler and approachable than the 2013 I tasted next to it; it's more aromatic and expressive, complex and at the same time easy to understand. The palate is also approachable and tender, with very fine-grained tannins, when in reality, it's very powerful and tannic, but the balance is terrific. It should develop beautifully in bottle, and the Ribera character, which is there, should be even more evident with a little more time. 3,051 bottles and 43 magnums were filled unfined and unfiltered by hand in June 2018.In Bond£1,080.00 -
Wine Advocate (98)
Their Gran Reserva style red 2015 Peñas Aladas Gran Reserva had a very long aging in barrel, a total of 54 months, including six months of malolactic fermentation. This comes from a myriad of small plots of some of the oldest vines in the village of La Aguilera in the same zone that names the wine, at 870 to 890 meters in altitude. The valley receives very cold winds from the Duero River, and the vineyards are surrounded by junipers, pines and oak trees, which makes it up to three degrees Celsius lower than the rest of the village, one of the coldest places in the whole of Ribera del Duero. The soils have a layer of sand that is gradually mixed with clay until around one meter deep, and then there's a layer of marl and limestone, a textbook soil for the vine. 2015 was a powerful vintage, and there was some frost that also delivered a little more concentration. The wine has an old Ribera del Duero style, with some rusticity and lots of power, energy and concentration but with great balance. It has plenty of fine tannins and lots of chalkiness. This should be very long lived. 2,223 bottles and 41 magnums were hand bottled unfiltered and unfined in May 2020.In Bond£889.00 -
Wine Advocate (100)
The youth, freshness, balance and harmony of the 2016 Peñas Aladas Gran Reserva is gobsmacking. The wine is a little shy, insinuating, reticent and a little closed, and it feels younger than it is. It comes from a collection of small plots of some of the oldest vines in the village of La Aguilera in the lieu-dit, or "paraje," that names the wine, in a small valley surrounded by pine, holm and juniper trees, where there is a cold draft of air and the temperature is lower than in the rest of the village. The soils are sandy and intermixed with clay on a marl mother rock. The plants are mostly Tempranillo, but as they are very old vines, there's always a field blend of other varieties—Albillo Mayor, Monastrell, Garnacha, Bobal and Cariñena—all fermented together with full clusters that were foot trodden in concrete vats and indigenous yeasts. Malolactic was in barrel and lasted for 11 months, while the élevage was extended to a total of 55 months (almost five years!). After all this time in barrels, the wine is not oaky at all; it's floral and perfumed, elegant, nuanced and layered. The texture is silky, and it's medium-bodied, with moderate ripeness, 14% alcohol and very good freshness denoted by a pH of 3.41. It has fine tannins that make it nicely textured and fine-boned, with subtle minerality. This should be veeeeeery long lived, as it has the stuffing, all the ingredients and the balance between them to make old bones. Amazing juice. 3,591 bottles and 51 magnums were filled in April 2021.In Bond£875.00 -
Wine Advocate (99)
They didn't produce the 2017 vintage of the single-vineyard wine from some of their oldest vines, so after the 2016 they jumped to the 2018 Peñas Aladas Gran Reserva. It has a very intense nose of licorice, flowers (decayed violets), wet chalk, spices (nutmeg), some nuts (pecan) and a volatile twist with great freshness. It matured in French oak barrels for 53 months. It has a fine thread, a chalky and dry feeling, fine tannins and a dry and very tasty finish that's almost salty. It has all the components and the balance with them to develop nicely in bottle. It should age effortlessly for 30 years. It's very impressive, but it doesn't reach the elegance of the 2016. 1,729 bottles and 42 magnums produced. It was bottled in March 2023.In Bond£995.00 -
Jeb Dunnuck (95)
The 2015 Reserva checks in a Tempranillo-dominated red with 15% comprising a field blend of Garnacha, Bobal, and Albillo, all aged 35 months in barrel. Gorgeous blueberries, smoked blackberries, roasted herbs, chocolate, lead pencil, and graphite notes dominate the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied, with a concentrated, powerful texture, lots of tannins, and a great finish. It certainly shows the warmer style of the vintage in its texture and tannins, yet it stays balanced and offers notable freshness as well as a great finish. It has another decade of prime drinking.In Bond£520.00 -
Wine Advocate (97)
Quite different from the 2015 was the 2016 Reserva, a red from a cooler year with good yields, so they were able to increase production of this wine over twofold and increase the quality! It took some seven months to complete fermentation, and the élevage in barrel lasted some 29 months. It has an incredible nose, violets and something musky, intriguing, complex and nuanced, mysterious and difficult to define, with some notes reminiscent of soy sauce. The palate is seamless and with terrific balance, a silky texture and very fine but chalky tannins. This is an amazing Ribera del Duero. 18,834 bottles and 519 magnums produced. It was bottled in April 2019.In Bond£110.00 -
Wine Advocate (97)
Quite different from the 2015 was the 2016 Reserva, a red from a cooler year with good yields, so they were able to increase production of this wine over twofold and increase the quality! It took some seven months to complete fermentation, and the élevage in barrel lasted some 29 months. It has an incredible nose, violets and something musky, intriguing, complex and nuanced, mysterious and difficult to define, with some notes reminiscent of soy sauce. The palate is seamless and with terrific balance, a silky texture and very fine but chalky tannins. This is an amazing Ribera del Duero. 18,834 bottles and 519 magnums produced. It was bottled in April 2019.In Bond£315.00 -
Tim Atkin MW (96)
Produced in what Jorge Monzón calls the "tragic", frost-hit 2017 vintage, when yields were down 85%, this shows that, in the right hands, what survived was often very good indeed. Marrying Tinto Fino with 5% Monastrell and 2% Albillo Mayor, all of it aged in old wood, this is herbal, chalky and intense, with stem ginger and wild strawberry flavours, fine tannins and impressive length.In Bond£327.00 -
Wine Advocate (97)
2017 was a low-yielding year, so I also tasted the 2018 Reserva, their flagship red wine that wants to be a representation of the village of La Aguilera—fine, serious and elegant. It's 95% Tempranillo with the remaining grapes found interplanted in their oldest vineyards at an average of 880 meters in altitude on limestone, clay and sandy soils. All the clusters ferment together with indigenous yeasts in concrete, where they are foot trodden, and malolactic was carried out very slowly (11 months) in oak barrels where the wine matured for a total of 27 months. It has a somewhat shy nose but is very elegant. The wine was recently bottled, and that can make it a little closed and subtle, and it clearly improves with air as it sits in the glass. It's still young, and the palate reveals lots of energy; the flavors are very pure and the wine precise and delineated. The tannins are very fine and provide for a chalky texture and an almost salty twist in the finish. This is very in line with the 2016. 15,250 bottle and 101 magnums produced. It was bottled in February 2021.In Bond£144.00 -
Wine Advocate (97)
2017 was a low-yielding year, so I also tasted the 2018 Reserva, their flagship red wine that wants to be a representation of the village of La Aguilera—fine, serious and elegant. It's 95% Tempranillo with the remaining grapes found interplanted in their oldest vineyards at an average of 880 meters in altitude on limestone, clay and sandy soils. All the clusters ferment together with indigenous yeasts in concrete, where they are foot trodden, and malolactic was carried out very slowly (11 months) in oak barrels where the wine matured for a total of 27 months. It has a somewhat shy nose but is very elegant. The wine was recently bottled, and that can make it a little closed and subtle, and it clearly improves with air as it sits in the glass. It's still young, and the palate reveals lots of energy; the flavors are very pure and the wine precise and delineated. The tannins are very fine and provide for a chalky texture and an almost salty twist in the finish. This is very in line with the 2016. 15,250 bottle and 101 magnums produced. It was bottled in February 2021.In Bond£280.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
2019 was a warm and dry low-yielding year, somewhat similar to 2015, and the 2019 Reserva could be the modern version of the 2015—a round, lush and approachable Reserva that is perfumed and fruit-driven, with spices in the background. It's a hedonist cuvée of 95% Tempranillo and 5% other grapes from some of the oldest grapes in the village. It fermented in concrete with indigenous yeasts followed by a slow malolactic in 228-liter French oak barrels, mostly used, where the wine matured for 35 months. It reveals very good integration of the oak that is neatly folded into the wine. It shows the tannic structure of the 2019 vintage. 23,875 bottles and 430 magnums produced. It was bottled in September 2022.In Bond£285.00 -
Wine Advocate (97)
The nose of the 2020 Reserva is beautiful, perfumed and floral, showy and expressive, really open. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with fine-boned and very fine and chalky tannins. It has 14% alcohol, not a shy red, with power and concentration, freshness and terrific balance. It has a long finish with a touch of licorice and violets. It has to be among the best vintages for Reserva. 2020 was a very good year for Dominio del Águila. It matured in French oak barrels for 33 months. 38,221 bottles and 868 magnums produced. It was bottled in July 2023. It is young but approachable and should age beautifully.In Bond£299.00 -
Wine Advocate (96)
The pale, perfumed and elegant red 2019 Dominio Do Bibei is mostly Brancellao with 7% of Mouratón and Grao Negro. It's nuanced and subtle, layered and complex, with a seamless palate, beautifully textured and rich with deep flavors and a fragrant and focused finish. It has clout, tension, balance, perfume, power and elegance. Stunning!In Bond£120.00 -
Decanter (97)
This dark, relatively tight-knit Rioja proves that the Gran Reserva category doesn't just indicate the supremely well-aged, relaxed and reposeful style of Rioja, but can also serve to draw drinkers' attention to outstanding wines of density and tenacity which still have a way to run along their potential ageing trajectories. Look out for dark, urgent fruits here sweetened and back-lit by cunningly angled oak, with intense, deep, fresh and searching flavours in which the 10% of Graciano seems to be working overtime. A Rioja of innate drama.In Bond£120.00 -
Jancis Robinson (18)
95% Syrah, 5% Viognier, vineyards at 950 m above sea level. Aged for 12 months in a mixture of 650- and 500-litre used French oak. Spectacular and intense dark fruit on the nose! Blackcurrant, blackberries, cassis, violets, smoke and minerality. On the palate, it is rich and deep but not massive. It has mouth-watering acidity, ripe tannins, and elegant oak integration. I find this vintage more balanced than previous ones. The wine has precise fruit expression. 2018 has been the greatest year for this wine. (FC)In Bond£130.00 -
In Bond£360.00
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Experience the allure of El Paraguas El Paraguas Atlantico 2019, a distinct white wine hailing from the esteemed vineyards of Ribeiro, Spain. Renowned producer, El Paraguas, has perfected a captivating blend of Treixadura, Albariño, and Godello grapes, offering a harmonised blend of refreshing minerality, crisp acidity, and delicate fruit notes. Sealed with a kiss from the breezy Atlantic climate, each aromatic sip of El Paraguas El Paraguas Atlantico 2019 encapsulates the heart and soul of the region's unique terroir.
El Paraguas is committed to organic farming, ensuring each vine expresses quintessential character and flavour. The wine is delicately aged on the lees for an added depth, resulting in a sophistication that is truly remarkable. With meticulous quality control and a passion for winemaking honed over countless vintages, El Paraguas El Paraguas Atlantico 2019 is a stellar embodiment of premium Spanish white wines.
In Bond£210.00 -
(6x75cl) 2020
The El Paraguas El Paraguas Atlantico 2020 hails from the prestigious vineyards of Rías Baixas, Spain. This elegant white wine from the notable producer, Fento Wines, presents a compelling blend of Albariño, Treixadura, Caiño Blanco, and Loureira. The delightfully refined palate captures the essence of region's terroir, with subtle fruit flavours delicately interwoven with an exceptional mineral edge. Employing sustainable viticulture practices, the grapes are harvested manually, fermented in used French oak barrels, and matured for 5 months on lees to augment the expressive nature of the wine. With its appealing freshness and graceful complexity, El Paraguas El Paraguas Atlantico 2020 is a testament to the meticulous craftsmanship of winemaker Eulogio Pomares. The bottle perfectly encapsulates the finesse and intensity of Galician wines, inviting the true connoisseur to savour an exquisite experience from the first pour to the lasting finish.
In Bond£315.46 -
The Emilio Moro Malleolus 2018's complexity and elegance is a testament to Emilio Moro's 120 years of winemaking experience. This fine Ribera del Duero, Spain wine utilises Tinta del País grapes, with clusters sourced entirely from 50-year-old vines across their choicest plots. The deep, ruby-red Malleolus 2018 undergoes 18 months of aging in French oak barrels, revealing notes of black fruit, violet, and licorice melding with chocolate and spice undertones, embodying unadulterated power with exquisite finesse. These elements converge to provide an extraordinarily long, stunning finish on the palate. Emilio Moro meticulously vintages the Malleolus 2018 using traditional and innovative techniques, unfailingly retaining the phenotype and identity of their home soil. A majestic embodiment of the quintessence of Ribera del Duero, the Emilio Moro Malleolus 2018 provides an unrivalled wine tasting experience for discerning oenophiles.
In Bond£228.50 -
Wine Advocate (94+)
2020 was a great vintage in the Mediterranean, and the 2020 Albahra, a blend of 70% Garnacha Tintorera from the zone of Almansa and 30% Moravia Agria from Manchuela, showed better than ever. The two grapes fermented separately with part of full clusters in concrete and with indigenous yeasts. The Garnacha matured in concrete and the Moravia in neutral 228-liter barrels for eight months. It has 13% alcohol and good freshness, a fine thread and round tannins. It's juicy and supple—the harvest was easy with great weather, very different from 2019— and the acidity of the Moravia is more polished. The wine has a bright ruby color and is aromatic and clean, precise and attractive. It's medium-bodied and silky with very round tannins. They compare it with 2017. This is one of the most incredible bargains from Spain. Drink or hold. 59,000 bottles and 750 magnums produced. It was bottled in July 2021.In Bond£200.00 -
(1x75cl) 2018
Wine Advocate (94)
The red varietal Listán Prieto (a.k.a. País, Criolla Chica, Mission) 2018 Benje Tinto is from different vineyards in Santiago del Teide in the south of Tenerife at altitudes ranging between 900 and 1,000 meters. Half of the wine was kept in concrete tanks, and the rest was put in well-seasoned, neutral 228-liter oak barrels for a period of eight months. There are some flinty/gun powder aromas when you open the bottle, giving it a slightly reductive personality, but it's perhaps the volcanic character coming through. This is spicy, wild and characterful, with flowers and blood orange notes. It has a light to medium-bodied palate with bright flavors, a wine with lots of light, very fine tannins and a mixture of wild fruit and herbs with the volcanic soils. To me, this is the benchmark Listán Prieto/País together with the Santa Cruz de Coya from Roberto Henríquez from Chile. 16,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2019.In Bond£96.00 -
(6x75cl) 2022
Wine Advocate (95)
The 2022 La Santa de Úrsula is balsamic and reveals notes of rose petals and talcum powder. The fruit is darker (riper), and it has a juicy palate with fine tannins and a long, lingering finish. 8,000 bottles and 100 magnums produced. It was bottled in July 2023.In Bond£178.00 -
(6x75cl) 2020
Wine Advocate (95)
The 2020 Migan is a red from La Orotava and was produced with Listán Negro grapes from the village of La Perdoma, whose ancient name was Migan. It comes from four plots—Montijo (40% of the grapes), Tío Luis (30%), La Habanera (20%) and Las Suertes (10%)—on red volcanic soils and at different altitudes, between 350 and 600 meters above sea level, where altitude defines the character of the plot. In 2020, they didn't use the San Antonio vineyard that was used in previous vintages; it has been replaced by Montijo. 2020 was an early harvest, and the grapes fermented by plot, always with indigenous yeasts, and 70% of the wine matured in neutral 500- and 600-liter oak barrels, while the wine from Tío Luis matured in concrete. The change in vineyards (they abandoned the one with more clay at lower altitude and increased in higher altitude and with less clay) has given the wine an extra kick. These wines reward time in bottle, and they need at least one year. Right now, this feels a little closed and tight, but it has great freshness and finer tannins and, in the long run, should make a better wine than the 2019. 11,500 bottles and 300 magnums were produced. It was bottled in December 2021.In Bond£175.00 -
James Suckling (98)
Nervy, nicely funky, precise and mineral nose with a “protective” flintiness and an alluring peppery edge to the wild berries and pomegranate. Fine, dissolved tannins with a mealy, dusty texture, tapping into a super tangy, fresh palate full of grapefruit zest and wild berries. Really long and irresistible now, but can age.In Bond£205.00 -
(6x75cl) 2022
Wine Advocate (94-95)
The 2022 Migan feels very fruit-driven, open and expressive. It's the final blend of the wine, but it still wasn't bottled when I tasted it in early November. The wine feels quite harmonious, juicy and round, with moderate acidity. It's tender and young, still too primary.In Bond£198.00 -
(1x75cl) 2021In Bond£80.00
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(6x75cl) 2021In Bond£401.03
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(6x75cl) 2022
Wine Advocate (98)
The heat from late August didn't affect much the grapes that were used for the 2022 Palo Blanco, as they are picked much later than the grapes from other zones of Tenerife. So, the 2022 vintage in Los Realejos is a lot fresher than in Taganana or La Orotava. In fact, I liked the palate of this 2022 better than that of the 2021; it's vibrant, lovely and fresh. The nose is still a little reductive, and the notes of flowers and herbs take time to emerge. 13,000 bottles and 167 magnums produced. It was bottled in July 2023.In Bond£198.00 -
(6x75cl) 2023
Wine Advocate (98+)
The grapes for the 2023 Palo Blanco were harvested earlier than ever, picked even earlier than the grapes from Taganana. It was a warm year, but the wine feels more like it's from a cool climate; it has a moderate 11.5% alcohol and is volcanic and less reductive than in previous years, fine-boned and sharp, with a vibrant palate, effervescent acidity (7.1 grams and a pH of 3.05) and a dry chalkiness that gives it salinity. It's approachable but should also age in bottle. 13,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2024.In Bond£210.00 -
(6x75cl) 2022In Bond£200.00
While Rioja is still the region that springs to mind for most consumers when thinking about Spain, wines from other regions are slowly yet assertively making themselves known. There are the dark, arresting wines of Priorat, the crisp, apply whites made from the Godello grape, the often almost Burgundian Ruedas, the ‘cult’ wines like Vega Sicilia… not just rustic, oxidative wines any longer, but rather intriguing and individual vinous experiences.
