2018 Moncerbal is exceptionally fragrant with near crystalline purity. It is a fine, elegant, dancing wine with extremely subtle black berry and black cherry fruit coming through. Its incredible freshness cuts like a knife through the palate which is mineral beyond belief, and the length goes on forever. If you are ever lucky enough to visit this astonishing 1.5ha vineyard, you will see how the vines cling, unbelievably, to vertiginous slopes. That determination somehow comes through in the precision and focus of this stunning 2018 wine. It is exceptional. Drink 2024-2035.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2015 Clos Santuy is produced with the grapes from an ungrafted, head-pruned 1.12-hectare vineyard in the village of Piquera de San Esteban in the province of Soria, just outside the limits of Ribera del Duero, so it's sold as Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León. The vineyard is planted at some 968 meters in altitude on shallow sandstone soils and is enclosed by a dry stonewall. Bougnaud has been working and vinifying this plot separately since 2010 and noticed its personality and aging potential, but this 2015 is the first vintage to be released. This is a textbook elegant and fresh Ribera from the cooler part; it's ripe and powerful but really in balance and includes some 10% of white Albillo grapes that surely add to the silky texture and the fresh sensation on the palate. What a portfolio Galia showed in 2015, and this jewel of the crown filled some 1,073 bottles in September 2017. Bravo!

Wine Advocate (96)

The nose of the 2016 Clos Santuy was a little more discrete and reticent than the 2016 Villages. This comes from a 1.2-hectare plot of ungrafted vines in the village of Piquera de San Esteban that somehow was left out of the Ribera del Duero appellation. There is a sense of harmony and depth unlike that of the Villages, which felt more open and immediate. The palate is pure rock, austere and chalky, with a sense of minerality that was striking. It's approximately 80% Tempranillo and 20% Albillo fermented together with 20% full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in one 225-liter barrel and one 600-liter demi-muid for 22 months. 1,095 bottles were filled in September 2018.

Wine Advocate (100)

I have been terribly excited about this wine since I first learned that (part of) it was still in cement waiting to be bottled in September 2013. I consider the rare white Castillo Ygay one of the greatest white wines ever produced in Spain, and the 1986 Castillo Ygay Blanco Gran Reserva Especial is a great addition to the portfolio of the winery--an historic wine that is coming back to life. I did a vertical tasting of many of the old, historic vintages of this wine, and they are included in a separate article in this very same issue. This 1986 had seen the light as a limited early release bottled in 1992 and sold around 1995, and some bottles might still be found in the market. But most of it remained unbottled and was kept at the winery, where it stayed in oak for 21 years, followed by some six years in cement vats until it was bottled. It has 13.5% alcohol, an extremely low pH of 2.98 and 6.75 grams of acidity (tartaric). It has a very subtle nose and it's a bit shy, a little closed at first. It was only bottled one and a half years ago, and it's not crazy to say that the wine is showing extremely young. The wine shows more open the day after, when it has developed some nuances of mushrooms and verbena tea. This is mostly Viura with perhaps a pinch of Malvasía Riojana (aka Alarije). The palate is both powerful and elegant, with superb acidity and great length, with volume and sharpness, with a mineral, umami-driven finish. It fills your mouth, tickles your taste buds and makes you salivate. There is nothing negative about the wine; there is no excess oak, nothing blurry, nothing to improve... perhaps the bottle used! I think this is a perfect wine. It seems to be getting younger and younger with time in the glass; it seems to be getting more focused and sharper, and I have no doubt the wine will evolve and last for a very, very, very long time in bottle. I kept the opened bottle for almost one week and the wine didn't move one inch--no oxidation or any signs of fatigue. Having tasted many other vintages, including the also perfect 1919 (which is still going strong at age 97), I have no doubt we're talking about a white for the next 50 years. Looking at the older vintages, I might even be underestimating its life span. The potential next release could be the 1998 in no less than ten years' time.

Vinous (95)

Inky ruby. A deeply perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, Moroccan spices and floral pastilles, along with suggestions of cola, licorice and smoky minerals. Shows a suave blend of depth and energy to the sharply focused black raspberry, cherry vanilla, star anise and candied violet flavors, which deepen and become sweeter with aeration. Well-knit tannins add grip to a penetrating finish that leaves behind notes of dark berry preserves and spicecake.

Vinous (94)

(all old-vines tempranillo; aged for 32 months in small French oak, 80% of it new): Inky ruby. An expressive, exotically perfumed bouquet evokes candied black and blue fruits, incense, vanilla, roasted coffee and potpourri, along with a bright mineral overtone. Sweet, densely packed blueberry and cherry-vanilla flavors are energized by a peppery, spicy nuance that gains strength as the wine opens in the glass. Shows the richness of the vintage to excellent effect and finishes sweet, supple and very long, leaving a sexy floral pastille quality behind.

Vinous (95)

(malo and 33 months of aging in new French and American oak barrels): Inky ruby. A strikingly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, incense, vanilla and smoky Indian spices, plus a vibrant mineral topnote. Sweet, seamless and expansive, offering sappy black raspberry and spicecake flavors that deepen in the mid-palate while maintaining vivacity. Smooth plays power and depth off of finesse and finishes with superb energy and lift, the velvety tannins adding gentle grip.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Pure magic, the 2019 Aro is 70% Tempranillo and 30% Graciano from a plant by plant selection of the Muga family's oldest vines of Tempranillo, blended with a substantial portion of Graciano. This dense purple behemoth has a primordial bouquet of pure cassis, graphite, crushed stone, lead pencil, new leather, and hints of spring flowers. Building incrementally on the palate, with full-bodied richness, a huge mid-palate, and ripe, velvety tannins, this is one heavenly Rioja that deserves 7-8 years of bottle age and will age like a First Growth from Bordeaux. Hats off to the team at Muga for another incredible wine.

Revered amongst the finest Spanish wines, Neo Ribera del Duero Punta Esencia 2009 is a true connoisseur's delight. Born in the renowned Ribera del Duero region, this vintage is the epitome of Neo's exemplary winemaking skills, embodying the rich Spanish terroir. Crafted from old vines of Tempranillo variety, this wine, aged in French oak barrels for 21 months, exhibits a remarkable complexity.

Neo Ribera del Duero Punta Esencia 2009 has an intense ruby hue and an intoxicating bouquet of ripe red berries, wild herbs, and toasty oak nuances. On the palate, it captivates with plush tannins, concentrated fruit flavours, and a lingering mineral-laced finish. This intricate blend of power and elegance is the hallmark of Neo's winemaking ethos and a tribute to Ribera del Duero's unique winemaking tradition.

Presenting the Neo Ribera del Duero Punta Esencia 2009, a masterpiece for those who appreciate the finest expressions of Tempranillo!

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. ...

Hailing from the celebrated winemaking region of Spain, Remirez de Ganuza Rioja Gran Reserva 2011 is an impeccable embodiment of terroir distinction and winemaking artistry. Hand-harvested and masterfully crafted by the esteemed Remirez de Ganuza estate, this Spanish icon is created from a varietal blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano grapes from 60-year old vines for a superlative heritage expression.

Its lavish ageing in French oak barrels for 27 months yields an unforgettably intense palate. Bursting with richness, this full-bodied red reveals complex notes of ripe red fruit, sweet spices and fine-leather, underpinned by silky tannins and balanced acidity. With its lingering, elegant finish, the Remirez de Ganuza Rioja Gran Reserva 2011 is unquestionably a magnum opus of the estate's 40 years of winemaking brilliance. A beautifully crafted trophy wine that speaks volumes for the grandeur of Spanish fine wine.

Experience the intense flavour and delight of the Remirez de Ganuza Rioja Reserva 2006, a vibrant embodiment of Spanish craftsmanship. Renowned winemaker, Fernando Remirez de Ganuza, utilises a careful blend of predominantly Tempranillo, with a small blend of Graciano grapes, sourced from their oldest vineyards in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. Notable for its meticulous production process, only the shoulders or the thickest parts of the grapes are used, fermented in new French oak barrels.

The 2006 vintage enchants with a deep, ruby-red hue, an aromatic bouquet of wild berries and hints of spice, with an exquisite balance of smoked toffee. The palate introduces a powerful presence, offering an intricate blend of fruit, oak, and mineral notes with a long, structured finish. The Remirez de Ganuza Rioja Reserva 2006 provides not only a sip of wine but a savoured taste of tradition and the essence of Rioja.

Wine Advocate (95)

The phenomenal 2010 Reserva is produced with 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and some 5% of the skins of Malvasía and Viura grapes used for the white wine after it finished fermenting. Here, they select the grapes from some of their best and oldest vineyards, put them in cold storage for 24 hours and then exclusively select the grapes from the top half of the bunches. It fermented in 7,000-liter oak vats and small stainless steel tanks followed by malolactic and 25 months aging in new French barriques. This is a vintage that deserves to be laid down in the cellar, as it has all the components and the balance to develop into a superb classical Rioja with a few more years in bottle. Everything seems to be in its place, and all components show high quality: the tannins, the acidity, the oak, the fruit... Highly recommended. One for the cellar. 72,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2013.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)

The talented Telmo Rodriguez is launching this wine onto the Place with its first vintage for the entirety of its production. The grapes are from a 3.8ha limestone-dominant plot within the family’s Remelluri estate, found in the foothills of the Sierra de Tolono mountains. A sweet and smoky attack, with a ton of flavours and fragrant aromatics that grab hold and hang on, from dense liquorice root to crushed stones to blueberry, redcurrant, rose petals and tobacco, nothing too much or too overwhelming, but you also feel the herb-strewn call of the vineyard and you want to be there, among the vines where this is made. Get hold of it now, enjoy the brilliance of Telmo Rodriguez and the sense of place that he can bring to a wine. A field blend, as with the brilliant Remelluri Blanco, with just over 7,000 bottles in this inaugural vintage. An outstanding first outing that you should be following - believe me, this is a cult wine in the making.

James Suckling (100)

Such a deep yet complex and sophisticated nose, showing discretion, perfume and finesse. A hint of violet extract to the black cherries, crushed blueberries and cocoa powder aromas, together with Spanish cigars that slowly evolve to truffle, black pepper, incense and freshly chopped herbs. Juicy, yet really composed and dry, with medium to full body and abundant, immaculately fine-grained tannins that unwind evenly on the palate. A style that is restrainedly plush and refined, showing superb precision, cohesion and length, when you give it enough time in your glass. If Las Beatas is the fine Burgundy, then this would be Telmo Rodriguez’s Rioja answer to world-class Bordeaux. Decant it to let the complexity come through. Drink through the next 20 plus years.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)

I tasted this at the property from barrel, thrilled to follow it now in bottle. Grabs you from the first moments with its sage, thyme, dried flowers and incense aromatics, clings to your nostrils, drawing you in, so much depth of flavour to the vivid raspberry and sour cherry fruits, delicate and yet powerful. Hard to describe how little artifice is conveyed in the glass, it's not a wine that is coated in new oak, instead it is delicate, poised, crafted, utterly gorgeous, so moreish. Harvest October 6 to 18, 3.8ha, old gobelet vines, with any replacements coming from massal selction. Iconic winemaking partnership Telmo Rodriguez and Pablo Eguzkiza. I hope everyone folllowed my advice from the first vintage to get on board because it is more than living up to its potential, and its tiny quatities means that first come are almost certainly first served.

Vinous (95)

Inky ruby. Highly aromatic scents of ripe cherry and dark berries, singed plum, cured tobacco and succulent herbs, with a vanilla undertone. Sweet, expansive and powerful, offering intense black and blue fruit flavors with smoke and floral accents. Rich and full but surprisingly lively, with excellent finishing thrust and sweet, harmonious tannins adding grip. Shows the ripeness of the vintage to good effect; this is a somewhat approachable and exotic Unico, especially with some air, but it has the concentration to age slowly.

Wine Enthusiast (98)

Lightly baked and hinting at raisin and fine herbs, the bouquet on this benchmark Spanish red enfolds aromas of tobacco, moss and ripe tomato. In the mouth, it's elegant and silky but also full and expansive. Flavors of baked berry fruits, baking spices, herbs and cocoa finish with a light coating of toast. This is an amazingly complete, exemplary wine that's just entering its prime. If past vintages of Unico are an indication, it will age well through 2035.

Vinous (97)

(fermented in large oak tanks and aged for six years in new French and American oak barriques) Saturated ruby. Explosively perfumed aromas of fresh ripe red fruits, floral oils, pipe tobacco and incense take on sexy vanilla and woodsmoke nuances as the wine opens up. Densely packed yet shockingly lithe on the palate, offering intense cherry liqueur, red currant and spicecake flavors given spine by a core of juicy acidity. Shows superb energy and clarity, finishing sweet, smoky and extremely long; velvety tannins add gentle grip.

James Suckling (100)

Incredibly floral and beautiful with dark berry, spice, cedar and mint. Chinese plums. Asian spices. Bark. Tea. Full body, dense and so soft and complex. The finish goes on for minutes. Endless and fine. January 2017 release. This reminds me of the gorgeous 1991 or 1964. Drink forever. A wine that you want to spend time with.

Jancis Robinson (19+)

Deep garnet with a wide smudgy rim. Spicy and laced with sweet chocolate. A certain untamed quality to the fine dark fruit. Peppery and highly seasoned but that doesn’t batter the fruit, which is more like blackberry than cherry or cassis. As on several of the wines from this stable, there’s a savoury dark-olive quality. Tannins are thick, resolved but not yet fine/elegant. Still remarkably not ready for the fullest expression of pleasure but it is clearly moving towards refinement and already has wonderful length.

Vinous (98)

Inky ruby. An assertively perfumed, highly complex bouquet displays powerful, mineral-accented dark berry preserve, exotic spice, vanilla, potpourri and incense aromas, along with suggestions of cola and mocha. Broad, focused and deeply concentrated, offering palate-staining black and blue fruit liqueur, violet pastille and spicecake flavors that show remarkable clarity and are given spine and lift by a core of juicy acidity. The spice, mineral and floral notes resonate emphatically on the strikingly long, sweet finish, which features harmonious tannins and building, resonating dark berry character.

Tim Atkin MW (100)

Vega Sicilia Único Reserva 2010 (14%) Perfection is as rare in wine as it is in most things in life, but this is a stunning Único, reflecting the quality of one of the greatest vintages of the last century. Blended with 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, as it was in 2009, it's still a very youthful wine right now, with closeknit tannins, thrilling acidity, layers of spices, fresh earth, tobacco, red and black fruits, some oak sweetness and a wonderfully refreshing, leafy undertone. Simply stunning.

Tim Atkin MW (98)

The only problem with the 2011," says Gonzalo Iturriaga, "is that it followed 2010." I gave the latter wine a perfect score, so I know what he means. And yet this is still a fantastic Único in its own right. Marrying Tinto Fino with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, it's not as powerful or showy as the 2010, but has considerable elegance and finesse. Sweet, leafy, balsamic flavours are framed by perfumed French and 30% American oak, with the mint of the Cabernet surprisingly noticeable on the refreshing finish. The tannins are very fine indeed, caressing the tongue as they pass.

Tim Atkin MW (98)

The latest in a superb run of Único releases, the 2012 is a finely judged cuvée of Tinto Fino and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon from vineyards on the south side of the Duero river with a northerly aspect. There's no sign of the heat of the vintage here on a wine that is poised, complex and self-assured. Floral, mature and nicely evolved, with fine French and American oak, graceful tannins and a hint of graphite. One of Spain's greatest reds.

James Suckling (98)

This has a polished and complex nose of poached plums, dark cherries, tea leaves, graphite, milk chocolate and a touch of caramel. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm yet creamy tannins. Caressing, seductive and ripe, but with underlying freshness. 97% tempranillo and 3% cabernet sauvignon. Tasted from magnum. The normal bottle will be released 2023 and the magnum in 2025. Try after 2023.

Tim Atkin MW (99)

Reserva (14%) The 2014 Único is the second wine in a row from a cooler, so-called Atlantic year, although the harvest was considerably less wet than 2013. Sourced from the best 40 hectares on the Vega Sicilia estate, covering a total of 30 parcels, this is a stunningly floral, complete, layered Tinto Fino with lily, wild rose and mountain herb aromas, subtle French and 25% American oak, some added backbone from 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, and a palate of bramble, black cherry, Asian spices and tobacco embellished and freshened by a bright, chalky finish.

Wine Advocate (98)

To be released in 2020, the NV Único Reserva Especial 2020 Release is a non-vintage blend of 59 barrels from 2008, 2009 and 2010, mostly Tempranillo with some Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has been getting closer to the style of the Único, and the blend is from vintages very close to the current release of Único, but somehow this year I think the blend has added some complexity to the bottled wine, which has the heart and soul of the 2010 vintage. In fact, they told me they are keeping more wine to have some older vintages to blend for this Reserva Especial, because in the last few years, the wine has been a little too young for the style that it used to have in the past. This has finesse and some of the Burgundian style of the blends of yesteryear. 17,071 bottles and 214 magnums produced. It was bottled in June 2016.