Wine Advocate

Wine Advocate 94"The 2011 P.F. is also from Iniesta and sees 10 months aging in 600-liter used French oak. The nose is broody and demands coaxing, reluctantly offering black currant, cranberry, cold stones and a touch of boysenberry jam. The palate is offers an effervescent entry – this wine just

Wine Advocate 90"Villa Medoro’s 2011 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo Chimera is richer, rounder and a bit more polished than the straight Trebbiano. A note of gunflint and crushed rocks at times recalls Meursault in this gorgeous, vibrant white. Layers of melon, white peaches and flowers meld into the

Wine Advocate 91-93"The 2011 Almirez was tasted as a final blend, although bottling was planned for the month following my visit. It comes from vineyards in Valdefinjas and Toro from vines between 15 and 65 years in age. The “crazy” thermal jumps meant there was much more freshness in this

Wine Spectator 92WS TOP 100 2012 Rank 31"A powerful and opulent style, this red displays ripe cherry, black currant, violet and tobacco aromas and flavors. The tannins are gripping on the finish, which lingers with sweet fruit and mineral accents. Well-proportioned. Best from 2014 through 2021.

Wine Advocate 96"The 2001 Gran Reserva 904 will not be released for another 3 years. Dark ruby-colored with a garnet rim, it displays a lovely nose of Asian spices, incense, tobacco, balsamic, and blackberry. On the palate it has exceptional depth, layers of spicy black fruit, excellent ripeness,

Wine Advocate 93"The 2007 La Cueva del Contador is the second wine of Contador with final selection of the bunches based on taste. ML is in barrel and the wine is aged for 12 months in new French oak. Purple-colored, it displays a slightly reticent bouquet of smoke, mineral, Asian spices, violets,

Wine Advocate 94"The current release is the 2001 Reserva Especial, a deeply colored wine with a lovely perfume of cinnamon, lavender, incense, balsamic, and black cherry. Medium-bodied, velvety-textured, and already complex, it will continue to evolve for another 5-10 years and offer a drinking

Wine Spectator 94"The rose, strawberry and cherry aromas and flavors are beautifully displayed on the elegant frame in this pure and delicately wrought red, which shows harmony and depth. The fine lingering finish expresses energy, with a mineral element. Best from 2015 through 2032.." ~ B.S.

Wine Advocate 92"The 2010 Monastrell comes from 40-year-old vines cropped at 2.5 tons per hectare and aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. It has a clean fresh nose of bilberry and blackberry that is well defined and elegant for a 15% alcohol wine. The palate is medium-bodied with an

Wine Advocate 92"Sartarelli’s 2010 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Tralivio opens with a blast of juicy, yellow stone fruits and flowers, but then the minerality kicks in on the mid-palate and finish. Unctuous, textured and beautiful, this 2010 impresses for its exceptional

Wine Advocate 94"Mocha, tar, spices and tobacco all flow from the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five. A rich, intense wine, the 2010 impresses for its depth and sheer power. This is far from an easygoing Cabernet. I imagine the 2010 might still be going strong at age 20. The cold, late season

Wine Enthusiast 95"A big, opulent pleasure bomb with lavish layers, loaded thickly on top of each other. Chocolate fudge, dark cherry, blackberry preserves, rum cake, prune, exotic spice, pipe tobacco, cola, hummus and leather. Huge personality and intensity. Staying power too. All that density

Wine Advocate 93"The 2010 Zolo Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a worthy follow-up to the 2009. It has a sedate, well-defined bouquet of kirsch, cranberry, raspberry and that gravel note. The palate is full-bodied and well-balanced with earthy ripe black fruit. It is a little broody, but draws you

Wine Advocate 94"The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon is beautiful. Scents of pain grille, mocha, black currants, spices and plums emerge from this deep, resonant wine. The 2010 possesses stunning textural depth and richness, not to mention phenomenal overall balance. Readers who want to get a sense of the

Wine Advocate 90"The 2011 G Dehesa Gago eschews oak – the wine is just put in the tank and then racked. It has a straightforward bouquet of blueberry, red cherries and a touch of balsamic that is well-defined and “pert.” The palate is quite succulent and primal on the entry with lush blueberry and

Wine Advocate 95"Produced of 100% Shiraz from a single vineyard, the 2010 Carnival of Love was aged in American oak, 97% new. Very deep purple-black in color, it is intensely scented of blueberry preserves, creme de cassis and warm black cherries with an undercurrent of baking spices, licorice,

Wine Advocate 91-93"The 2011 Chablis Vaillons takes hold of the palate and never lets up. It boasts gorgeous persistence in an understated style that is hugely appealing. The 20% oak is very nicely integrated. Today, it appears to be more subdued than 2010, but it is very pretty just the same. The

Wine Advocate 92"The NV Brut Rose Classic bursts from the glass with gorgeous energy. Sweet red berries, freshly cut flowers and spices are some of the many notes that burst from the glass. The Rose Classic is endowed with serious depth and classiness. It is easily one of the very best wines in

Wine Advocate 92"The 2007 Brunello di Montalcino Campogiovanni is a huge wine bursting with dark red cherries, plums, licorice, new leather and spices. This is an especially big, voluminous style built on extroverted fruit and sheer richness, but it all works. The weight of the vintage comes

Wine Advocate 93"Tar, licorice, incense, melted road tar, savory herbs and plums are some of the many notes that flow from the 2010 Dogliani Sori San Martino. Although quite dark and brooding in its flavor profile, the San Martino is actually quite medium-bodied and refined, with endless layers of

Wine Enthusiast 93"Dark in color and full-bodied, this bone dry Cabernet is tannic and hard, despite having concentrated flavors of blackberry jam and black currant. It has plenty of structural integrity, and feels elegant in the mouth. Try holding it for a few years. If you drink it now, give it

Wine Advocate 98"The super-expressive 2004 Cobos Malbec Marchiori Vineyard is opaque purple/black in color. Its perfume of toasty oak, mineral, lavender, blueberry, and black cherry is very sexy and leads to a complex, spicy, rich, chewy wine which also manages to combine elegance and power. Its

Wine Advocate 94"The CADE Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is sourced from five small growers on Howell Mountain: CADE Estate Vineyards, Ink Grade Vineyards, Outpost Vineyards, True and Eagle Summit Vineyards. The 2009 harvest on Howell Mountain began on October 11th and lasted through October

Wine Advocate 91"The 2011 Tilia Merlot undergoes a 20-day skin maceration and is aged in oak for six to nine months. It has a lovely nose, one of the best I have found for this varietal, with vibrant dark cherry, black plum and mineral notes. The palate is well-balanced with fine tannins. It is

Wine Advocate 95"The 2009 Antiguos Vinedos comes from four small plots cropped at 3,500 kilogram per hectare, a selection of old vines then raised in new and used oak for 14 months. It has a startlingly fresh bouquet with wild strawberry, raspberry leaf and crushed stone, straight out of the