Red

93 points James Suckling
Fine spices, blackberries, cocoa powder and graphite. This is juicy and flavorful on the palate, with a full body and a heap of dusty tannins. Tight, structured and pretty long.

92 points Vinous
The 2022 Tritn originates from Toro and has been barrel-aged for up to eight months. Garnet in color. The ripe fruit aromas include blackberry and sour cherry above a backdrop of wild herbs. Rich and indulgent, the firm yet polished tannins and balanced acidity contribute to a long-lasting and overwhelmingly satisfying palate. This is truly a Toro red.

Good fruit and depth here, a medium to full-bodied palate and fine-grained tannins, and the wine has the stuffing and balance to overcome the creamy oak with some more time in bottle. It matured in a mixture of oak vats and barrels for some six to eight months. 200,000 bottles produced.

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.