Wines

94 Points! Always Syrah-dominated, the 2022 Avenger is based on 50% Syrah, 20% Carignan, 17% Grenache, 12% Petite Sirah, 1% Mourvèdre that was 75% destemmed and brought up in 20% new French and Hungarian oak. Ripe blackberries, flowery incense, pepper, and sandalwood notes all shine on the nose, and this beauty is medium to full-bodied, round, lush, and polished, with plenty of richness yet a weightless mouthfeel. Drink bottles through 2034. - Jeb Dunnuck

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

98 Points! A blend of 76% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc, the 2022 Château Villemaurine is killer stuff, offering black raspberries, black cherries, violets, floral notes, and chalky minerality. Full-bodied, pure, deep, and seamless, it’s layered and rich yet incredibly balanced, with fine tannins and an elegant mouthfeel. Huge minerality and a liquid rock-like character make this a stunning effort. Aged for 16 months in 70% new and 30% one-year-old barrels, it’s going to evolve gracefully for 30+ years. - Jeb Dunnuck

96 Points! The 2022 Villemaurine, 76% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc, is very deep purple black in color. It has a wonderfully fragrant nose of candied violets, cinnamon, cloves, and Sichuan pepper with a powerful core of blueberry pie and black cherries. The full-bodied palate is dense and muscular, with black and blue fruit layers supported by a refreshing backbone and soft tannins, finishing with an exotic spice lift. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

95 Points! The 2022 Villemaurine is an absolute joy. Rich and opulent to the core, the 2022 packs a serious punch. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, cloves, menthol and licorice infuse the 2022 with tremendous depth. Bright saline notes extend the finish effortlessly. Villemaurine is a big, heady wine, but all the elements are so well balanced. Tasted three times. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

93 Points, Tim Atkin's Wine Value of the Year! Wild and floral, with notes of rose petal, tarragon, and spring meadow herbs, this 100% Monastrell from Jumilla’s Valle Estrecho shows bright grip and chalky tannins. Aged seven months in old concrete tanks from the 1960s, it’s textured, vibrant, and deeply rooted in the fruit character of Monastrell and the stony, calcareous soils. It finishes with a bright lemon peel twist. - Tim Atkin

Briñas, Haro y Labastida - selection of vineyards over 50 years-old, 90% Tempranillo, 5% Mazuelo, 5% Graciano.

Traditional vinification. After selective manual picking the clusters are destemmed by gravity directly falling into the fermentation tank not using any type of pump. 
 
Aged in oak cask of American Missouri 80% and French oak 20%, during 36 months.

93 Points! This shows lovely complexity with blackcurrant compote, cinnamon stick, orange rind, vanilla and undertones of almonds and herbs. The palate has so much blue fruit to it, tight tannins, a wave of fresh acidity and a fruit-forward, tangy finish. Very classy. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! I was really looking forward to the 2017 Las Enebradas, because the first vintage, 2016, was the revelation of my last review of the zone of Gredos. I was quite surprised because the profile is very different: the wine has a lot more color and up to 2% more alcohol. Nacho Jiménez, one of the partners, explained that the profile of the 2016 vintage was exceptional and hard to replicate, as yields were higher and it rained just before they picked the grapes, so the wine is a lot lighter. 2017 was very different, a lot warmer and with lower yields, and the grapes delivered a concentrated juice with a lot more color, tannin and alcohol. It has a more Mediterranean profile, more in line with the rest of the wines. This fermented with 50% full clusters and temperature control and matured in one 500-liter oak barrel. Despite the higher ripeness and the headier character, the wines from Navatalgordo have a different texture and fine thread, the finesse of a cooler place and sandy soils at higher altitude (even if the vines are south-facing here), and you see it when tasting this next to the wines from Cebreros. It's more elegant and fresher. 570 bottles were filled in August 2019. - Luis Gutiérrez, robertparker.com

97 Points! Another gem of a wine from this estate, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate includes 1% Petit Verdot and spent 20 months in French oak. It has a darker red and blue-slanted fruit profile as well as some classic tobacco, scorched earth, and graphite aromatics. These all carry to a medium to full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon with a seamless, layered, elegant mouthfeel, ripe, building tannins, and a pure, focused style that will benefit from 3-4 years of bottle age. The balance, purity, and sheer class here are top notch, and this will see its 20th birthday in fine form. - Jeb Dunnuck

96+ Points! The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Aida Estate is very close in quality to the 29 Estate bottling, with perhaps a touch more concentration and tannin. There's less herbal nuance to the fruit, leaving black cherries to take the lead, backed by cedary oak and hints of dusty earth, while the palate is full-bodied and structured, leaving little doubt regarding this wine's potential longevity. Thankfully, the considerable tannins are fully ripe, leaving a softly dusty sensation to linger on the finish. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

94 Points! There is a new and impressive red 2020 Barrio Pastores, a village wine produced with old Garnacha grafted on Rupestris du Lot roots. It is perfumed and floral with moderate alcohol (13.8%) and with a medium-bodied palate with very fine tannins and a dry, austere finish. It has impressive freshness and a pH of 3.2 with 6.5 grams of acidity. The production tried to replicate the wines from yesteryear, and they achieved a clean, fine, soft, perfumed and happy red through foot-trodden grapes and maturing in large oak vats for 10 months. Superb debut. 2,000 bottles were filled in August 2021. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

93 Points! The Garnacha 2022 Barrio Pastores is a village red from Aldeanueva de Ebro and produced with grapes from two plots planted in 1989. The full clusters fermented with indigenous yeasts after being foot trodden, and the wine matured in a 3,000-liter oak vat until it was needed the following harvest. It has a fruit-driven nose that's a little grapey, with a sense of ripe berries and wild herbs. It has 14% alcohol and a pH of 3.45. The palate is medium to full-bodied with fine tannins, ripe flavors and fine tannins. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

A compelling blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Mexican Nebbiolo produced by the Vinícola Regional de Ensenada.

95 Points! Mostly Merlot (there's roughly 20% Cabernet Franc), the 2019 Château Valandraud Virginie De Valandraud from the Thunevin team reveals a deep purple hue to go with a brilliant nose of spiced currants, black cherries, new saddle leather, Provençal herbs, and subtle floral nuances. It's rich, medium to full-bodied, and flawlessly balanced on the palate, with gorgeous tannins and a great finish. It's the finest vintage for this cuvée I've tasted, surpassing the 2015, 2016, and 2018. It's going to drink brilliantly for 20 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The 2019 Virginie de Valandraud is wonderfully deep and super-expressive. Red plum, raspberry jam, espresso, crushed rocks, rose petal, lavender and tobacco build into the richly textured, resonant finish. This explosive, flavorful Saint-Émilion has a ton to offer. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! Blackberry, chocolate and hazelnut character on the nose, following through nicely to a medium body with integrated tannins and a fresh finish. Tight at the end, suggesting more to come with bottle age. Hints of mushrooms and earth. Second wine of Valandraud. Hint of wood at the end that will dissipate with age. Drink after 2024. - JamesSuckling.com

92+ Points! The 2022 Las Uvas de la Ira is Garnacha from seven vineyards in El Real de San Vicente, fermented separately and separating according to the health of the skins, with shorter and longer macerations, and matured in concrete and oak vats and foudres (50/50, approximately). It has the profile of the year, with slightly riper fruit, 14.5% alcohol and slightly dusty tannins.- Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94 Points! The 2021 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is generous, expressive and begging to be drunk! It has deep aromas of pomegranate, red cherries and blueberries with nuances of garrigue, Angostura bitters and orange peel. The medium-bodied palate is softly chalky and fresh, full of voluptuous, spicy fruit, with pretty botanical accents on the long finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

91 Points! Notes of fresh raspberries and cranberries with orange peel and spices. Juicy and savory with a medium body and dusty texture. Spiced and racy finish. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! A mentholated freshness introduces the 2019 Brunello di Montalcino, as a vibrant wave of crushed cherries, mint leaf, clove, and dusty roses make up it's absolutely gorgeous bouquet. This is silky and enveloping, yet lifted and full of energy, with crunchy red berry fruits that leave a crackle primary concentration towards the close. It finishes pretty saline and spicy in character, leaving edgy tannins that mingle with a residual bump of acidity that maintains a wonderfully fresh sensation as tart cranberry notes fade. This is one of the most exciting young renditions of Voliero I have ever tasted. It captivates with a precision and spry personality while holding depths of complexity in reserve. Wow. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media