Red

Organic

A delightful expression of traditionally styled Nebbiolo (100%) from Piedmont’s Roero region. Classic notes of dried cherries, orange rind, baking spice and dried flowers. Medium-bodied with nice length that finishes with slightly firm tannins that soften nicely with decanting. Sourced from two prized vineyards Trinita and Renesio. Fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged for 25 months in 460 to 500 liter (2-3 times used) French oak casks. The wine then rests in bottle for an additional 12 months prior to release.

Ruby red colour with medium depth rim. Intense, fresh aroma. Complex notes of plum, enveloped against a very enjoyable balsamic undertone. Delicate leather and spicy touches that recall a subtle toastiness enhance the wine's finesse and elegance. Its broad, well-rounded tannins and ripe fruit provide a balanced, full-bodied mouthfeel. A pleasant, luscious and tasty wine in mouth. - Winery

94+ points Wine Advocate
The 2020 Rioja Reserva, their flagship wine, comes from the 300 hectares of estate vineyards. Here, Tempranillo is the backbone, making up 82% of the blend in the low-yielding vintage of 2019, complemented with 8% Graciano, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Garnacha. It has controlled ripeness at 14% alcohol, with a pH of 3.65 and 5.1 grams of acidity. I loved the aromatics here—floral and elegant, more in the style of the 2018 than the 2019. it's lighter, more elegant, fine-boned and has a silky texture and very fine tannins. Both 2019 and 2020 are very good, but 2020 is more my style.

In September 2023, the Cebrián-Sagarriga family celebrated its 40th anniversary as owners of Marqués de Murrieta, which they bought in 1983. In 1996, Vicente Dalmau Cebrián took the reins of the winery, driving a deep transformation, and he continues today, relentlessly trying to improve every year. It's pretty amazing how the wines feel better each year, like a winery on its way up.

A really fresh and well-balanced Amarone here, with tapenade, ripe but fresh blackberries, chili chocolate and some red berries, too. This is tight and juicy, with a medium-to full-bodied palate and a long, fruity finish. A modern, fresh expression of Amarone that shows immense drinkability, but still pretty serious. Not super-concentrated, but shows restraint and balance.

The review is on the previous vintage.

92 points Wine Enthusiast
This historic wine of the Veneto region, first made in 1964, is still a classic today. The wine is rich and luscious, with ripe notes of black plum, cherry and blackberry. These fruits are supported by herbal and deep earthy notes. The palate is sumptuous, rich and balances the earth and fruit notes with near perfection. The wine is well structured and overdelivers.

Organic

The wines of Olga Raffault are a reference point of Chinon... in this delicious, savory, 100% Cabernet Franc you're treated to pencil shavings and wet grass which dominate the nose, and the palate balances cherry fruit with herbs and earth. Farming here is managed to the strictest of Organic standards. Wondering what to have along side this for dinner? Think about pork chops and mashed potatoes with mushrooms and garlic or if you're a fan of duck; have a glass alongside root vegetables and cranberries.

Les Picasses is the most famous Chinon lieu-dit, close to the village of Beaumont-En-Vron on the north bank of the Vienne River. It is a slope with full southern exposure and chalky clay-limestone soils. Raffault's mid-slope vines are at least 50 years old and are worked organically and harvested by hand. The fruit is destemmed with the berries left whole; they are fermented with indigenous yeasts in tank with a maceration of 25-30 days. The wine is aged for one to two years in 30-hectoliter oak and chestnut foudres; it is then aged in bottle for several years before release..

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.

95 points James Suckling

#73 in Top 100 Wines of Spain, 2024.
Another combination of freshness and profoundness from Toro. Blackberries, graphite, ashtray, sandalwood, cocoa powder and dark olives on the nose. Fresh-veined, chalky tannins tighten the palate, with a nervy backbone. The tannins extend to a lengthy finish. Ripe but fresh. Drink from 2026.

94 points Wine Advocate
The 2020 Pintia is from a powerful year of concentration, so they were very careful with the harvest date, did a softer vinification trying to extract less and included amphorae and less toast in the levage. It's opulent and juicy but gentle. The wine reached 15.5% alcohol and has a pH of 3.9 with 4.4 grams of acidity. It fermented in stainless steel and oak vats with indigenous yeasts. It was a very warm and dry vintage in Toro, with a heat wave before the harvest, so they had to rush to pick the grapes; and still the wine is richer and more powerful, even though the amphorae helped them contain the sensation of ripeness in the wine. It has a heady and ripe profile, very aromatic and showy, with notes of very ripe berries, prunes and decayed violets with a faint volatile twist. It matured 70% in new barrels, 10% in used barrels, 10% in stainless steel and 5% in clay pots. It's full bodied and lush, with abundant, slightly dusty tannins.

94 points Wine Advocate.
The Produttori del Barbaresco 2020 Barbaresco Riserva Muncagota is quite powerful and ample but not fully integrated as of yet. This vineyard site is located in a warm growing area, and you do feel the heat of the vintage in terms of the ripeness of the bouquet and the softness of the tannins. This wine paints with broad brush strokes, offering blackberry, plum and spice. It needs another year or two to find better focus

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

100% Baga made via Methode Champenoise to produce a savory and juicy sparkling red wine. Baga is typically known for its deep structure, but these grapes were chosen for their high acidity and good fruit potential. The base wine was initially fermented in stone lagares then transferred to 3k liter old oak tonels to complete fermentation. Secondary fermentation occurs in bottle to add sparkle. This is a Brut Natural so there is no added sugar. The Bruto Natural Tinto jumps out of the glass with bright and brambly fruit. The palate is generous and savory with excellent length.

90 pts Wine Advocate
The 2020 Meandro do Vale Meão is a blend of 50% Touriga Nacional, 35% Touriga Franca, 10% Tinta Roriz and dollops of Tinta Barroca and Alicante Bouschet for the rest, all aged in used French oak for 14 months. It comes in at 14.2% alcohol. This was in bottle about a month when seen. In the tough vintage, this doesn't seem to miss a beat. It's fresh, understated, elegant and full of great fruit. It has ripe tannins for support and some ability to age too. Most of all, it's another nice bargain in this consistent brand.

Winemaker Notes:
Rich with dark cherry, plum, and baking spices. The delicious fruit is accompanied by black pepper notes, crushed violet, and cassis. The palate has medium tannins, lingering spicy oak flavors with a velvety lush finish.
Enjoy this Cabernet with a grilled steak, rack of lamb, or grilled winter vegetables.

90pts Wine Enthusiast:
Brawny blackberry, dark cherry and raspberry make for an inviting entry into this impressively likable wine. It is smooth, rounded and rich in feel. Touches of vanilla and baking spice season the whole, building to a velvety finish.

95 points James Suckling
A super creamy, delicious and detailed red with oodles of red fruit, silky tannins and a full body. It tastes pure, fresh, almost delicate, offering raspberries, cherry cream, blueberries, cafe au lait and subtle oak toast on the palate. A gentle, layered, pretty wine that seems not at all affected by the wildfire smoke that year. Drinkable now, but best from 2030.