Vinous (90)

Dried apricots and peaches emerge from an air of white smoke and incense as the 2020 Bramìto della Sala opens up in the glass. It’s soft and appealing through its stimulating mix of mineral-tinged orchard fruits and complementary nuances of sour citrus. Hints of grapefruit and green botanicals linger throughout the long, spicy. mouthwatering finale. The 2019 represents excellent value in the category of entry-level Italian Chardonnay.

James Suckling (99)

This is big and powerful, without being ripe and heavy. So much apple, stone, and hints of toffee. Aromatic. Full-bodied, layered and framed with phenolic tension and a great finish. Muscular and agile at the same time. One of the best I have tasted. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (96)

Focused and complex on the nose with stone, sliced cooked apple and hints of toffee. Full-bodied, with a density and freshness and liveliness. Vivid and energetic. All about class here. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (97)

Complex nose of toast, charred pineapple, green papaya, kaffir lime and lemon. Crushed stones and white pepper, too. Full-bodied with vibrant acidity. Textured. Long and layered. Delicious and concentrated. Drink or hold.

James Suckling (97)

This is very aromatic and lifted with mineral, nougat, floral, and lightly cooked apples. Some flint and matchstick. Medium- to full-bodied with a fine phenolic and acid backbone that energizes the wine. Complex aftertaste with subtle fruit and pastry at the end. This will age beautifully but hard not to drink now.

Wine Advocate - Robert Parker (97)

The 2000 Montefalco 25 Anni simply multiplies all the elements exponentially with room-filling aromas of sweet berry fruit and perfectly integrated oak and a mouth-coating cascade of ripe fruit, powerful, dense, and sensual tannins in a swelling flow of unrelieved pleasure. I would be very surprised if this wine did not last another two decades.

Vinous (94)

The 2004 Sagrantino di Montefalco 25 Anni is even more remarkable. A dark, brooding beauty, this pure Sagrantino flows from the glass with awesome richness. The wine's fruit is still primary and vibrant, while the textural sensations on the palate are totally seductive. The firm Sagrantino tannins are there, but the wine has so much fruit they are barely perceptible. First made to celebrate the property's 25th anniversary, the 25 Anni is a selection of the best fruit and sees 24 months in small French oak barrels. It represents the very finest in contemporary winemaking.

Vinous (95)

The truly captivating 2016 Montefalco Sagrantino 25 Anni pulls you close to the glass with a beguiling bouquet that mixes citrus-tinged black fruits with exotic spices, hints of oregano, menthol and a dusting of cocoa. While there’s admirable weight and depth here, the textures are more like pure silk, delicately draped across the palate, yet leaving behind a saturating blend of intense dark fruits, minerals and fine-grained tannin. There’s so much depth and concentration to work through that, even as the 2016 finishes youthfully structured and dry, it continues to resonate for well over a minute with notes of currant, sage and dark chocolate. Bury this beautiful beast for at least 3–5 years in your cellar, and then enjoy it over the next decade or more. This is a fantastic rendition of Arnaldo Caprai’s 25 Anni.

Wine Advocate (97+)

The bottled 2018 El Carretil was phenomenal. It comes from a plot of 3.64 hectares planted at three different times—1930, 1975 and 1988—on limestone, sandstone and silt soils with up to 18% active limestone. Its Tempranillo grapes aged in barrel and then were racked back to stainless steel, where it was left to mature until it was bottled. It's mineral and balsamic, expressive, open and fresh, with beautiful elegance. It's classical with even a Bordeaux twist. It shows pretty much like the sample I tasted 12 months ago, expressive and open, aromatic and perfumed, with great freshness and balance, vibrant and energetic, juicy with fine-grained tannins and with terrific balance and purity. 5,000 bottles were filled in June 2020.

James Suckling (99)

A complete, fresh and complex Artadi single-plot wine with lovely subtlety. Spanish cigars, mineral, cocoa powder, some fine herbs, mussels and spices, with a background of fresh yet ripe, concentrated fruit showing crushed blackberries and blueberries. Tight, powerful but still dynamic and silky, with a mineral tinge to the supple fruit core in the middle. Not trying too hard. Impeccable balance with finesse! Tempranillo. From organically grown grapes. Already drinkable now, but better hold for a few years. Best from 2025.

Wine Advocate (95-96)

The tank sample of the 2018 San Lázaro, which was the final blend after some eight months in barrique, showed really well and confirmed my idea that this could be the third single-vineyard wine in quality after El Pisón and El Carretil. It's a wine of finesse and perfume, of subtleness and length but without lacking power or concentration. It has a beautiful combination of violets and cassis with very fine tannins. It has inner strength and tension, a recurring note when it comes to these 2018s. Very promising, in line with the superb 2016. They expected to fill some 2,000 bottles in the summer of 2020.

Wine Advocate (100)

The 2004 El Pison stands out from its peers. It has a deeper color than the 2007 with a splendid nose that jumps from the glass. Notes of espresso, balsamic, Asian spices, pain grille, mineral, and black cherry lead to a velvety, mouth-filling, deep wine that effortlessly combines elegance with power. It should easily drink well for another 30-40 years. It simply does not get any better.

Wine Advocate (97)

The 2008 Vina el Pison comes from a single vineyard planted in 1945 on pure limestone. It is the epitome of elegance with a sensual bouquet, a silky texture, already complex flavors, and a lengthy, pure finish. It will offer at least a 20 year lifespan, just long enough for the 2009 to be hitting its stride.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2009 Vina El Pison is born from 67-year-old vines within a real clos rather than the fictitious ones that abound. I could be pedantic and separate it from Juan Carlos- wines under the Artadi umbrella, but like my predecessor, I will include it here. The 2009 has a fresh, floral, Margaux-like bouquet with fine delineation and intensity. The palate is full-bodied with an almost impenetrable carapace of licorice-tinged black fruits, minerals, citrus peel and a powerful, sensual finish. Perhaps impressive more than pleasurable (at the moment), this behemoth will need a decade in the cellar before it will shine. Drink 2022-2040.

Wine Advocate (99)

The flagship single-vineyard 2018 Viña El Pisón has to be one of the finest vintages for this bottling. It's named after a plot of 2.4 hectares planted in 1945 in the village of Laguardia. The vineyard is an amphitheater with changing soils of limestone, clay and sandstone with a deep combination of limestone and silt. The grapes underwent a 24- to 48-hour cold soak and fermented with indigenous yeasts in oak vats for 10-12 days, during which time the grapes were foot trodden twice per day. It matured in French oak barrels for nine months. There's something mysterious about this Pisón; it's subtle and elegant, a little austere and reticent at first. The palate is seamless, silky with very refined tannins, with gobsmacking balance and a very long, clean and precise finish. This is superb. 6,600 bottles were filled in June 2020.

Guía Peñín (99)

Style: complex, with personality. Colour: bright cherry. Aroma: expressive, characterful, red berry notes, ripe fruit, spicy, balanced, chalk, new oak. Flavour: flavourful, long, chalky, spicy, ripe fruit, round tannins, complex.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Malvasía Riojana, or Rojal, is a very rare grape that’s only found in old co-planted field blends as a rule. But here it takes centre stage in a brilliant wine that’s fermented and aged on its lees in concrete eggs. Saline, focused and refined, with jasmine and wet stone aromas, a creamy mid palate and a long, focused, pithy finish. A stunning debut. 2021 – 2026.

The Bodegas Bhilar Phinca Abejera Rioja Alavesa 2012 embodies the rich terroir of Spain's prestigious Rioja Alavesa region. Nestled in the alluring Basque Country, the acclaimed Bodegas Bhilar demonstrates artisanal winemaking acuity renowned worldwide. The Phinca Abejera Rioja Alavesa is a boutique production, cultivated from old-vine Tempranillo grapes imparting distinct notes of blackberries, liquorice and wild herbs.

Striking a balance between modern winemaking techniques and steadfast tradition, the vintners use indigenous yeast for fermentation in large French oak casks, lending the wine an understated elegance and complexity. Ageing for 36 months in neutral oak promotes the wine's finesse, culminating in a superbly structured palate featuring deep fruits, earthy minerality, and a long, velvety finish.

As a biodynamic and organic estate, Bodegas Bhilar's commitment to sustainable viticulture ensures the continued quality and character of the Phinca Abejera Rioja Alavesa. The 2012 vintage possesses an enviable cellaring potential, inviting discerning connoisseurs to savour its evolution.

Wine Advocate (94)

As we didn't have another recent vintage to compare with the 2010 and the expectations were so high, Roda's CEO Agustín Santolaya insisted on uncorking another excellent vintage, the 2004 Roda I, to check on its evolution. The production and source of the grapes was basically the same as today, 100% Tempranillo that, back then, was fermented in French oak vats with indigenous yeasts, followed by aging in barriques for 16 months. There might be some things in common with 2010, which is the current vintage—a very balanced year with great ripeness and acidity, wines with power and elegance and a very slow development. This 2004 is aging at a glacial pace and should have a long life ahead of it. At the time, they produced 184,447 bottles of this 2004. It has been in bottle since May 2006.

Decanter (95)

From a warm vintage with an early harvest, this is a well-balanced Rioja with considerable complexity. There's a ripe plum character to the black fruit aromas, along with warm tobacco hints and earthy, undergrowth notes. Like a perfectly stretched tapestry, this shows a taut precision to the winemaking, with admirable balance. Polished black fruit, spice and chocolate notes show good persistence. A sense of freshness and fine tannins with juicy grip on the finish; this has life ahead of it.

Tim Atkin MW (96)

Built around a core of Tempranillo from vineyards near Haro, with a splash of Graciano from the Rioja Oriental, this is a superb Roda I from a vintage that is often under-rated in Rioja. Balanced, perfumed and precise, with adroitly handled 50% new wood, a hint of good reduction, some vanilla spice, wild herbs and layers of blackberry and blueberry fruit. Delicious.

Immerse yourself in the exquisite richness of Castello di Solomeo Rosso 2018, a remarkable Red Wine from the heart of Umbria, Italy. This illustrious vintage, crafted by the esteemed vintners of the Castello di Solomeo estate, is the embodiment of years of dedicated viticulture and meticulous winemaking. The 2018 vintage is made from a careful blend of Sangiovese, Sagrantino, and Merlot grapes, aged in oak barrels to instil a harmonious balance of robust fruit flavours, spicy undertones and subtle oak nuances.

Renowned for producing wines of exceptional character, the Castello di Solomeo estate is nestled in the picturesque valleys of the commune of Solomeo, providing perfect terroir for these distinctive grapes. Castello di Solomeo Rosso 2018 shines brightly in the glass, with a complex aroma profile ushering in a palate that juxtaposes freshness with maturity. Pair it with richly flavoured dishes to fully appreciate its opulent profile.

Savor the legacy of Italian winemaking with Castello di Solomeo Rosso 2018, a treasure in any wine lover's collection.

Wine Advocate (95)

The 2018 Viña del Olivo comes from a plot planted in 1980 that has different soils from the rest of the property, which is mostly alluvial. Here, the soils are composed of clay and limestone. It's 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo, which fermented in 1,000-liter French oak vats followed by 16 months in barrel and a further three months in oak vats. This is raw and young, but it's already been released because the wine sells like hot cakes. It's marked by the toasted barrels and has all the baby fat it needs to be rendered invisible with time in bottle. It has very good freshness and round and sophisticated tannins with purity of fruit and finesse. 13,640 bottles and some larger formats. It was bottled in April 2020.

James Suckling (98)

This is very Asian with black tea, mushroom and bark aromas, and ripe fruit undertones. Full body, round and polished. Edgy structure with blackberry, mushroom skin and cedar. Fantastic finish. Just a baby. Stock up for the cellar. Better in 2020 but already excellent.

James Suckling (97)

This is so powerful and tightly wound with so much intensity and power. Full body. Crushed berries and hints of walnuts and cedar. Purity in fruit. Very subtle character, but great tension and richness. Drink after 2021.