Wines

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

94 Points! The grapes for the 2021 Reserva (sold as Crianza in Spain), mostly Tempranillo with some Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano, were picked late in a cooler year when they finished the harvest the 20th of October, with plenty of times for the grapes to develop full aromas and flavors and complete ripeness. It fermented destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts, separating qualities, villages and soils, and matured in 80% French and 20% American oak barrels, 20% of them new, for 24 months, with racking every eight to nine months. It's a textbook example of their style in a very good year, with power, concentration and clout, elegance and freshness. It was a very harmonious year; the cycle was long and the tannins ripened to perfection. It's terrific... - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94 Points! The winery’s flagship, the wine that introduced Muga to the world, the 2021 Muga Reserva is Tempranillo-dominant, with Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano filling in the gaps. A larger-production wine, it offers tremendous quality, fermented in wooden vats using indigenous yeasts, the grapes separated by quality, soil type, and village origin. This one in particular is from a beautiful vintage and practically beams in full-bodied concentration, with supple, silky tannins and light touches of oak spice, cedar, balsamic, and white pepper. A new release, it should continue to thrive another 15-20 years. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

90 Points! An exotic, voluptuous wine, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard wraps around the palate with serious depth. The 2009 is big, full-bodied and super-intense. It doesn’t have the aromatic high register of the 2010, but instead has more depth and immediacy. Waves of fruit build to a huge, enveloping finish. - Antonio Galloni, robertparker.com

92 Points! The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III (F Block) is all about pure power and muscle. A blast of dark fruit hits the palate as this immediate, juicy wine shows off its open, accessible personality. - Antonio Galloni, robertparker.com

97 Points! A complex nose of raspberries, redcurrants, blueberries, spices and dried herbs. It’s medium-bodied with elegant tannins. Round, juicy and layered on the palate, offering great harmony and balance. Fresh, yet complex with a savory finish. Old-vine character. The vines are more than a century old. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

The oldest Malbec vines in Chile, planted 1890!

97 Points! Wow. This is very powerful 2010 Barolo with a great depth of fruit and powerful tannins. Full and super-structured Barolo. Goes on for minutes. Great wine from a popular vintage. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! Beginning to turn the corner, this red exhibits fragrant aromas of cherry, leather, mushroom and spice. Smooth and full of ripe fruit, with a firm structure for support. Still needs some time, but already shows complexity and harmony. Best from 2018 through 2035. - Wine Spectator

97+ Points! The Oddero 2021 Barolo Rocche di Castiglione shows that etched minerality and soaring verticality that you can expect of this celebrated MGA site. This (and the 2021 Barolo Brunate) are my favorites in this group of single-vineyard releases. I love the sharpness, the focus, the tension and those taut tannins that stitch it together. This wine reveals a note of candied cherry, raspberry and terrific fruit purity. It ages in botte grande for 24 months, and 3,000 bottles were created. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

98 Points! The 2021 Barolo Villero soars from the glass with intensely spiced, balsamic-tinged aromatics. Deceptively medium in body, with superb persistence and class, the 2021 is simply magnificent. Beams of tannin shape the unforgettable, persistent finish. This is another wine that demands patience. The Villero is not an easy wine, rather it is a Barolo that offers a more inward, at times intellectual, expression of Nebbiolo. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

92 Points! Very snappy and crisp on first sip, this gains depth and complexity in toasted almonds and butter as it opens. Alive with crisp apples, lemon zest and a mineral tang that gives a very lively texture and great balance. Medium-bodied. Blended from 60 sites in the region, it was partially barrel fermented. - JamesSuckling.com

99 Points! The purity of fruit is really something else here, with currants and fresh flowers, such as violets and roses. Flower stems as well. Fantastic length and structure to the wine, with tightness and focus. Wonderful fruit. Graceful. A blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 7% petit verdot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% malbec. Try after 2028. - James Suckling

97 Points! The aromas are high-toned with cassis and graphite, and a cinnamon-dusted red berry character nuanced by the woody, spicy aromas of just-cut rose stems balanced by fresh rose petals and dark chocolate. On the palate, it's a creamy wine with a bit more satin or velvet texture than the 2021, and a touch more sweetness in the berry fruit, but balanced by the textural integrity of the tannins. The finish is sweetly floral and tamed by a salty mineral quality that lingers. There's a real brightness to this wine as it opens in the glass.The aromas are high-toned with cassis and graphite, and a cinnamon-dusted red berry character nuanced by the woody, spicy aromas of just-cut rose stems balanced by fresh rose petals and dark chocolate. On the palate, it's a creamy wine with a bit more satin or velvet texture than the 2021, and a touch more sweetness in the berry fruit, but balanced by the textural integrity of the tannins. The finish is sweetly floral and tamed by a salty mineral quality that lingers. There's a real brightness to this wine as it opens in the glass. - Decanter Magazine

96 Points! Generous, with savory aromas of ripe blackcurrants and fresh black cherries and a gentle texture that shows a slight nip of tannin. It is well structured and a bit tight, which is normal for a young cabernet sauvignon-based red that’s a proven collectible. Gives up graphite and pencil shavings, some cocoa and espresso. Full-bodied. Spicy, toasty oak is really showing through right now. Best from 2028. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The aromas are high-toned with cassis and graphite, and a cinnamon-dusted red berry character nuanced by the woody, spicy aromas of just-cut rose stems balanced by fresh rose petals and dark chocolate. On the palate, it's a creamy wine with a bit more satin or velvet texture than the 2021, and a touch more sweetness in the berry fruit, but balanced by the textural integrity of the tannins. The finish is sweetly floral and tamed by a salty mineral quality that lingers. There's a real brightness to this wine as it opens in the glass.The aromas are high-toned with cassis and graphite, and a cinnamon-dusted red berry character nuanced by the woody, spicy aromas of just-cut rose stems balanced by fresh rose petals and dark chocolate. On the palate, it's a creamy wine with a bit more satin or velvet texture than the 2021, and a touch more sweetness in the berry fruit, but balanced by the textural integrity of the tannins. The finish is sweetly floral and tamed by a salty mineral quality that lingers. There's a real brightness to this wine as it opens in the glass. - Decanter Magazine

96 Points! Generous, with savory aromas of ripe blackcurrants and fresh black cherries and a gentle texture that shows a slight nip of tannin. It is well structured and a bit tight, which is normal for a young cabernet sauvignon-based red that’s a proven collectible. Gives up graphite and pencil shavings, some cocoa and espresso. Full-bodied. Spicy, toasty oak is really showing through right now. Best from 2028. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! The aromas are high-toned with cassis and graphite, and a cinnamon-dusted red berry character nuanced by the woody, spicy aromas of just-cut rose stems balanced by fresh rose petals and dark chocolate. On the palate, it's a creamy wine with a bit more satin or velvet texture than the 2021, and a touch more sweetness in the berry fruit, but balanced by the textural integrity of the tannins. The finish is sweetly floral and tamed by a salty mineral quality that lingers. There's a real brightness to this wine as it opens in the glass.The aromas are high-toned with cassis and graphite, and a cinnamon-dusted red berry character nuanced by the woody, spicy aromas of just-cut rose stems balanced by fresh rose petals and dark chocolate. On the palate, it's a creamy wine with a bit more satin or velvet texture than the 2021, and a touch more sweetness in the berry fruit, but balanced by the textural integrity of the tannins. The finish is sweetly floral and tamed by a salty mineral quality that lingers. There's a real brightness to this wine as it opens in the glass. - Decanter Magazine

96 Points! Generous, with savory aromas of ripe blackcurrants and fresh black cherries and a gentle texture that shows a slight nip of tannin. It is well structured and a bit tight, which is normal for a young cabernet sauvignon-based red that’s a proven collectible. Gives up graphite and pencil shavings, some cocoa and espresso. Full-bodied. Spicy, toasty oak is really showing through right now. Best from 2028. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! A vibrant red, with a tasty burst of boysenberry and blackberry compote notes leading the way. Displaying singed alder, cocoa, tobacco and licorice snap elements, this offers enough energy to keep the finish going. Drink now through 2034. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

92 Points! A proprietary red blend of Petite Sirah, Grenache, Syrah, and Zinfandel aged eight months in 31% new oak. Orin Swift has opened a new, lovely tasting lounge in the town of St. Helena, CA and is worth a visit for those coming to the Napa Valley. Dave Phinney, the founder of Orin Swift, calls all the picks and continues working and honing these wines in the cellar. Rich black cherry, toffee, and caramel spices lead to a full-bodied wine with red berry fruit and chocolatey, robust, chewy tannins. The long fruit driven finish offers ample brown spices and toasty cedarwood. - Decanter Magazine

91 Points! Potent and dense, with brooding flavors of blackberry and cherry accented by bitter chocolate, cracked pepper and savory meat tones as this builds tannins on the finish. Grenache, Syrah and Petit Sirah. Best after 2025. - Wine Spectator

92 Points! The 2020 ‘Machete’ is a proprietary blend of Petite Sirah, Syrah and Grenache that was stored in 34% new French oak for 14 months before bottling. A soft texture greets you as green peppercorns greet you alongside black currant jelly, cigar ash and dark chocolate shavings with kirsch cordial notes. Considering the vintage, this is a really good effort. - Owen Bargreen

97 Points! A gorgeous, sleek wine with super-polished tannins and fabulous fruit. It's full but so refined and sexy. It goes on for minutes. Really fine. What a wine. This Bordeaux blend from here is the best ever. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! Le Creete vineyard is located at the southern end of Lake Garda and planted on the limestone and clay soils that make this region so interesting. As if basking in the sun, the wine opens with aromas of warmed pineapple, guava and lemon with heady white flowers wafting in and out. The palate lifts with tart notes of passion fruit and lemon peel, with a texture that has layers upon layers to explore. Crushed chalky notes define the lengthy and elegant finish. - Wine Enthusiast

90 Points! This has tropical fruit aromas like jackfruit, guava, pineapple and grapefruit. It’s juicy, ripe and fleshy with a medium body and a tasty finish. - JamesSuckling.com