Wines (24 View)

100% Single Vineyard Tempranillo; 21 months in barrel & 24 months in bottle

"Very deep colour; clean and bright. Intense cherry and purple glints. Very complex and elegant nose, red and black ripe fruits (cherry, mulberry) between complex tertiary aging aromas like liquorice, coffee, vanilla, roasted, leather and tobacco, with a characteristic mineral touch. Very elegant and velvety. With the same aromas founded in nose, complex. Ripe fruit, coffee, liquorice, leather, wood and roasted." Winemaker Notes

91 points James Suckling
Savory, dried meat and spiced plums and cherries with a hint of rust and walnut to the nose. Elegant and juicy on the palate with some tart red plums and light berry fruit. Long and almost a bit ethereal with firm tannins.

Winemaker Notes:
Montecillo Crianza consistently wins ‘best value’ wine awards, around the world. Established in 1874, Bodegas Montecillo is one of the oldest wineries in the D.O. Rioja. Montecillo maintains its ancient underground ‘bodega’ where hand stacked bottles remain undisturbed until reaching optimal roundness. Montecillo wines are crafted to enjoy a long bottle life; they continue bottle ageing longer than those from other wineries in the region.

Elegant and attractive cherry red, with a good depth and intensity of color. Ripe fruit on the nose, particularly strawberry preserve. Subtle flavors interlaced with notes of sweet oak that are reminiscent of black liquorice. Broad entry in the mouth, rounded and with great presence. Th­is is when we really notice the high quality of the oak, thanks to tannins that are well integrated with the ripe fruit, making the wine silky with a long, pleasant aftertaste.

Ideal with grilled meats, charcuterie, vegetable and pulse based stews, tapas and canapes.

92 points James Suckling
Very fresh with aromas of lemon pith, white grapefruit, crushed shells and slate. Some biscuits and salted yellow plums. Medium-bodied with beautiful minerality and freshness. Vivid finish.

#53 on The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2022.

94 points Wine Spectator
Well-tailored in an understated way, this harmonious red is plushly creamy on the palate, like fine cashmere, showing seamless integration of the sculpted tannins with finely detailed flavors of black cherry and black plum reduction, sandalwood, cedar, green olive, espresso crema and minerally smoke and iron. Long and lightly juicy on the refined finish. Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha. Drink now through 2030

97 points Wine Advocate
The most classical of their wines, the 2015 Prado Enea Gran Reserva is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano, mostly from Rioja Alta (Sajazarra, Cellorigo and Fonzaleche), but the Garnacha is from different plots in the zone of Tudelilla at high altitude. These grapes are always picked last, but the wine has a similar alcohol level as the rest, around 14.5% in a warm year like 2019. The modus operandi is similar to other of the top cuvees?harvested into 200-kilogram boxes, destemming, optical sorting and fermentation in small oak casks with indigenous yeasts. The elevage in this case is extended to 36 months, and the barrels are only 10% new. This is, year in, year out, my favorite wine from Muga, and in this powerful and ripe year, these late-harvesting vines ripened thoroughly and delivered a full array of aromas and flavors so that the wine has plenty of depth and complexity. It has a very classical profile, with incipient tertiary notes, perfumed, floral and rich, textured and beautifully balanced. They compare this 2015 with 2009 and 2005 in terms of style but with freshness in the style of 2001 and 2010. It's enjoyable but should also develop for a long time in bottle. One of the finest Prado Enea vintages. 108,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in November 2018. There's no 2012 or 2013 of this. There will be a 2016 and 2019, but no 2017 or 2018. 2020 is still a question mark, they have not yet decided it.

97 points James Suckling
Reserved and polished, this is a Prado Enea with great class and focus. It’s so aromatic,with plum, peach, cherry and cedar character. Salted olives, too. Medium-to full-bodied with very fine tannins and a long, fresh finish. Elegance with power here. Give it three or four years to open, but already impressive.

97+ points Wine Advocate
The expressive, complex and nuanced 2016 Prado Enea Gran Reserva is a textbook traditional Rioja in the making. 2016 was a very elegant year, with aging potential, volume and very good acidity and freshness. It's full-bodied but fine-boned, has 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.6 and 5.25 grams per liter acidity. It has terrific balance, with all the components in the right proportion to age superbly in bottle. They have also been working on the selection of wood used. This wine matured in French and American oak barrels for three years, and the oak is super integrated. 127,808 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2020. It was an exceptional year with volume and quality. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040

What stands out in the Muga Rosado 2023 vintage is its pale, rose-pink color. It is very intense and complex on the nose, with an initial gush of peach, strawberry and white blossom notes. On the palate, it proves a wine with very well-integrated acidity, volume, balanced fruit and a very long finish. In the aftertaste, we can detect stone fruit and also citrus nuances. - Winery

95 points Wine Advocate
The subtle and harmonious 2019 Selección Especial reflects a very complete and good vintage. It has to be one of the finest vintages for this wine. 2019 is a powerful vintage with balance and freshness. The grapes ripened thoroughly and developed a full set of aromas and flavors. It's complex and nuanced, with abundant, fine-grained tannins and a long, dry and tasty finish. Selección applies to the vineyards but also the barrels and everything that contributes to this wine; it's not only a selection of lots, which was the case before the 1994 vintage. 274,992 bottles produced. It was bottled between April and June 2022 after 26 months in barrel.

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2019 Reserva, sold as Crianza in Spain, comes from a dry and warm year with low yields and concentrated wines. The grapes from the Haro zone, the four from Rioja, Tempranillo, Garnacha Tinta, Mazuelo and Graciano fermented destemmed and lightly crushed in oak vats with indigenous yeasts, and 80% of the volume matured in French oak and the rest in Centro European and American oak, 20% of them new, for 22 months, during which time the wine was racked every eight to nine months. This is serious and young but balanced, nuanced and complex. They are shortening the time in oak, as they feel they have better and younger barrels and think the wines need less time in oak and more time in bottle. This is very Muga, very Rioja and very good. They produced an impressive 960,000 bottles and 18,000 magnums of this. There is only one master blend that is bottled at different times. I tasted a bottle that was filled in April 2022 (because of the lack of availability of bottles!).

#51 On The Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines Of 2024!

91 points Wine Spectator
A rich, savory thread of tobacco, smoke and ground coffee underscores flavors of creamed cherry and blackberry fruit, black olive, orange peel and cocoa powder in this fresh and focused red. Medium-bodied and well-knit, with lightly chewy tannins firming the finish. Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. Drink now through 2030.

A bright white, light on its feet and graceful yet still creamy and generous on the palate, with flavors of baked white peach, macadamia nut, grated ginger and a touch of lemon-infused pastry cream. Shows a spine of lively acidity and a subtle layer of salty mineral.

90 points James Suckling
Sliced green apple, lemon zest and white almond on the nose with a crisp and bright profile of yellow and green fruit on the palate. Elegant and fresh-toned.

90 points Jeb Dunnuck
All Verdejo, the 2021 Nisia is cut from the same cloth and has vibrant yellow fruits, citrus
blossom, honeysuckle, and floral notes in its medium-bodied, clean, lively, pretty style. It's slightly fresher and more medium-bodied compared to the richer 2020.

"Well-balanced and lightly creamy, this fresh white layers a tang of salinity and lemony acidity with flavors of white peach, pineapple, white blossoms and spice. Drink now through 2025." - Wine Spectator

A refreshingly zippy wine. Its bouquet is vibrant, clean and floral with notes of tropical fruit. Good balance and structure on the palate, a touch of acidity and an elegant, fruity, long finish. No oak aging.

94 points James Suckling
Medium ruby hue, with a bright and racy nose thats full of pretty berries, redcurrants, fresh strawberries and potpourri. Medium-bodied and naturally juicy on the palate, showing lots of crunch and drinkability. Fresh, transparent and silky. Drink or hold.

93 points Wine Advocate
They are going for lower yields and less bottles of the 2020 La Montesa and slowly putting prices up, as they feel the wine is more serious than what the perception of the affordable price makes it. 2020 is a powerful vintage; it's structured and textured, the oak is very nicely integrated (12 months in barrel, but the powerful wine absorbed it completely), and it's powerful with 14% alcohol and a pH of 3.55, a little darker than in previous years. The tannins are very fine with a subtle chalky texture. There were 2,319 barrels that resulted in 672,000 bottles, 10,000 magnums and some larger and smaller formats. It was bottled from April 2022.

This layered sweet wine displays a deep, glossy brown color and is truly indulgent. The nose features raisin, pumpkin pie spice, tobacco leaf and pure sugar cane notes. The palate is rich, expansive and beautifully balanced with honeyed, almost milk chocolatey raisin and smoke flavors. It is a very long and elegant PX and finishes with expressive coffee, tea leaf and buttered popcorn tones. Fantastic with blue cheese, toasted nuts, dried fruit, poured over vanilla ice cream or for something truly decadent, pair it with chocolate glazed doughnuts, sticky buns or Paris-Brest pastry. - PJ

Oxidative aging. Criaderas and solera system for a period of 4-6 years in oak barrels .

95-96 points Wine Advocate
I love the 2021 Flor de Pingus, a more ethereal vintage that is very harmonious. A co-fermentation of some 3% Garnacha with Tempranillo, it's an elegant wine in the style of 2018 and 2016, subtle and very balanced, with elegant tannins that give it very good silkiness. It is focused and fresh and has a sense of harmony and very integrated oak.

95 points Vinous
The 2021 Flor de Pingus hails from several vineyards in La Horra, Ribera del Duero and spent 18 months in French oak barrels. Purple in hue. The complex, subtle aromas include sour cherry and blueberry intertwined with rose, herbs and garrigue hints. On the palate, it's dry and velvety, with a balanced, fairly intense, chalky character that's low on freshness but high on energy. This is a distinctive, delicious red that reflects a modern approach to Ribera.

96 points James Suckling
Brooding but fresh nose, with tarry blackberries and fresh blue fruit. Iron, wet stones, violets and a hint of mocha, too. Full-bodied, mineral and broad on the palate with a stony feel, though not heavy at all. A really elegant, nuanced and extremely poised Pintia that you can enjoy now and for the next decade. A really eclectic Pintia showing more elegance and calculation. Drink or hold.

95+ points The Wine Advocate
The 2018 Pintia comes from a cooler and wetter vintage when the grapes were picked between September 20th and October 7th, and it fermented in their new fermentation room where they feel they can be more precise. The wine still has 15% alcohol, with a pH of 3.82 and 4.6 grams of acidity. It had a shorter levage this year and matured for 10 months in French and 18% American oak barrels, 81% of them new. The nose is very expressive, with bright cherry fruit, and the wine is fresher than the norm in the region, with integrated alcohol and oak, reflecting a very cool year, floral and perfumed. The palate is medium-bodied and reveals very fine and elegant tannins. This has to be one of the finest vintages of Pintia. 251,512 bottles, 14,144 half-bottles, 6,543 magnums and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in April 2020.

Vibrant aromas of ripe peaches, pears and toasted bread with a hint of spice fill the nose. The palate is dry with a rich, creamy texture. Layers of flavor include orange rind and spice that persists through an elegant finish. - Winemaker's notes - PJ

Vibrant aromas of ripe peaches, pears and toasted bread with a hint of spice fill the nose. The palate is more round with a rich, creamy texture. Layers of flavor include orange rind and spice that persists through an elegant finish. This is quite good at a very reasonable price.

Traditionally styled Monastrell, yes that is a thing, from old vines on chalky soils. Vinified in eighty-year-old conofors (think dairy tanks but made of American oak). The wine is filtered by gravity and, following tradition, made in a slightly oxidative style which gives the wine its very unique character. Their Cono 4 is then aged for 10-12 months. This wine represents a great expression of the warm Alicante climate yet is also very earthy and complex. It is approachable, with a certain rusticity and a profile that will remind you of the wines produced in the region some 30 years ago (and even a hint of old-style Rioja!), with developed aromas of earth, berries, tree bark, and forest floor. Dusty and tasty, medium to light-bodied, this is very pleasant indeed. Surprisingly complex for this extremely low price point.

For context on Primitivo Quiles’ winemaking style, Primitivo Quiles is to Alicante what Lopez de Heredia is to Rioja.

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This cliche applies well to today’s winery Primitivo Quiles. Señor Don Primitivo Quiles is one of the great figures of Spanish wine. His family ties with wine date back to 1780 when they started growing grapes and winemaking in the lands west of the present province of Alicante. They have been a family-owned winery for over 100 years and maintain one of the oldest soleras on the market, dating back to 1892. Their wines are highly valued treasures in wine cellars all over Europe and a source of pride for the winemaking industry in Alicante.

Organic

92 points Wine Advocate
I love the simplicity of the red blend 2020 Candea Tinto, which is straightforward, tasty, juicy and balanced, without any excess or makeup, raw and authentic, with note of wild berries, flowers and herbs and a medium-bodied palate with moderate alcohol and nice balance. Highly drinkable. 14,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in September 2022

92 points James Suckling
Black fruit, nutmeg, charcuterie and roasted marshmallows on the nose. Some licorice and five spice, too. It’s firm and dense, with a medium to full body, tight tannins and a compact core of spicy black fruit.

91 points Vinous
The 2018 Reserva is 100% Tempranillo sourced from San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Ábalos, Rioja Alta. This garnet wine unfolds sour cherry and dried flower notes with hints of fennel and herbs. Dry and mild, the fairly concentrated and chalky palate lingers with a juicy touch.

18 months in French and American oak barrels, followed by two years in the bottle.

Organic / Natural

60% Pinot Noir, 40% Syrah

Raul Moreno spent a few years working at iconic domaines including Domaine Dujac. Focusing on organic farming and sourcing old vines, Raul makes wines that redefine what is possible in Jerez.