Wine Advocate (94+)

The youngest of the reds I tasted, the 2019 Pícaro del Águila Tinto is their most approachable red and is still serious, vibrant and aromatic with great length and still has good aging potential. They use the grapes from the warmest vineyards they have in the village of La Aguilera, form the northern part closer to La Horra, mostly Tempranillo but with some 5% of other varieties (red and white) interplanted in the old vineyards, fermented together with full clusters and indigenous yeasts and matured in French oak barrels for 15 months. Like the 2019 Clarete, this is young and tender and has more tension than I expected for a warmer year. It has less oak than previous years (only 10% or 15% new barrels), and the wine feels better balanced and is floral and aromatic. It's medium-bodied with a very fine texture, a pretty wine that drinks very well and doesn't reflect a warm year at all, as it has incredible freshness. A great Pícaro. They produced 69,852 bottles and 850 magnums, a notable increase in volume... while they increase the quality! It was bottled in February 2021.

Wine Advocate (97)

After 15 years of searching, they have come up with a blend of 85% Bobal and 15% Moravia Agria that they thought worthy of carrying their surname, which is what the new top of the range 2018 Ponce is. It was produced with grapes from a vineyard in Villanueva de la Jara planted with Bobal and Moravia Agria on stony soils with sand and limestone mother rock (tosca). They vinified the two varieties separately and then selected the two 600-liter barrels that showed more elegance and finesse. After fermenting with 100% full clusters and indigenous yeasts, the wine from those barrels was kept longer with the lees in a 4,500-liter oak vat. What came to my mind was Monty Python: "And now for something completely different!" It's only 12.5% alcohol, and the color is surprisingly light, almost like a Trousseau from the Jura. The nose is reticent, insinuating and nuanced, shy rather than showy but with detail and changing by the minute. Wet chalk, flowers, herbs and a smoky/flinty touch develop slowly. The palate reveals great inner strength, energy and light, focused and precise, with beautiful symmetry. There is rusticity, elegance and length, chalky and with an almost salty finish. This has to be the most elegant wine ever produced by Ponce and possibly the most elegant Bobal ... in the world? This is more Burgundian than Rhône. It has all the ingredients and balance to develop nicely and for a long time in bottle. 1,991 bottles were filled in February 2020. There will also be a white Ponce in the future.

Decanter (97)

Gorgeous spicy black fruit and prune nose. Round, ripe tannins and precise blackberry fruit on the palate with great character and hints of spice box and cedarwood. An outstanding Ribera with prodigious length and persistence.

Vinous (100)

I knew it was only a matter of time before Davide Cilli would make a wine at Promontory that would represent the maximum expression of this rugged hillside site. The 2014 Promontory has been exceptional in the past, but it has also gained another gear or two over the last year, which is pretty much now standard for these wines. Stunningly delineated and precise, with tremendous purity and exceptional balance, the 2014 Promontory dazzles from start to finish. This is an especially translucent style, one that is more about persistence and balance than power alone. Stated simply, the 2014 Promontory is towering achievement from one of Napa Valley's most talented young winemakers. Kudos to the Harlan family and the winegrowing team led by Bob Levy and Cory Empting for creating the framework that allowed Cilli to craft this exquisite, riveting Cabernet Sauvignon.

James Suckling (99)

Insane aromas of lavender, blackberries, wet earth and ripe yet fresh fruit. Full body with very deep fruit, pine needles and hints of chocolate and cedar. Very long and wonderfully polished. This has wonderful depth and focus. Release in 2021. Better after 2024.

Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)

Packed full of vivid (there really doesn't seem any other word for it) cassis and blueberry fruits, floral, textural and nuanced. Cabernet Sauvignon signature mix of crushed rocks, mint, crayon and slate, just a brilliant wine and a reflection of its exceptional site. This is elegant and precise while still delivering muscular, powerful flavours. I first tasted it at the property last November, and it's reassuring to see it make exactly the same impression when retasted back in Bordeaux, away from the awe-inspiring landscape. Harvest September 10 through to October 23. David Cilli winemaker, director Will Harlan.

The Wine Independent (100)

The 2019 Promontory has a deep garnet-purple color. It is quite closed at the moment, needing a little swirling to reveal notes of crushed rocks, garrigue, iron ore, and lavender, leading to a core of black cherries, redcurrant jelly, and fresh blackcurrants, with a hint of mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate is so tightly wound, delivering multi-layered black and red berries with mineral and earthy sparks, supported by fine-grained tannins, finishing long and fragrant.

Tim Atkin MW (95)

Pujanza wasn't hit by the hail that affected Rioja in 2017, but this is still a pretty concentrated number, made entirely from Tempranillo grown at 630 metres and aged in 25% new wood. Chalky, dense and youthful, it's a wine that's made to mature in bottle, combining intensity with focus, freshness and serious tannins

Tim Atkin MW (97)

The vines are still comparatively young at 19 years' old, but Norte, located at 730 metres on the slopes of the Sierra de Cantabria, is one of Rioja's greatest parcels. Influenced by the presence of limestone close to the surface, this is a thrilling Tempranillo that's taut, chalky and chiselled with serious, ageworthy tannins, sappy acidity and layers of red berry and black cherry fruit. 2025-35

Wine Advocate (95)

The white 2020 Anteportalatina is a village white from Laguardia produced with Viura at 600 meters in altitude. It fermented in stainless steel and matured in French barriques and concrete egg for one year. It has 14.02% alcohol and a pH of 3.05 with 6.8 grams of acidity. I love the nose here; I find the restraint of cooler years. And the palate is powerful with great freshness. The wine is tasty and showcases the profile of Viura, a bit neutral and austere but with a lot of freshness and great aging potential. I liked this better than the 2019 Añadas Frías. 2,030 bottles.

James Suckling (98)

Phenomenal aromas of crushed berries, forest fruit, mushrooms and iron. Medium to full body, with layers of soft and refined tannins that follow through to a beautiful finish. Extremely long and refined. This shows depth and structure with balance and harmony. Hard not to open the bottle now and drink it, but it appears to be closing down now. Needs four to five years to show it all.

James Suckling (99)

This is beautifully polished with firm, dusty tannins to the blue fruit, as well as chocolate and cedar character. Some much earthier character, too, from mushrooms to bark. Forest flowers. Perfumed. It’s full-bodied with round tannins and a soft, creamy finish. Some iron and iodine to this. So attractive at the finish. From biodynamically grown grapes. Better after 2023.

Wine Advocate (93)

The 2019 Louro comes from a vintage that Rafa Palacios compares with 2011, 2012, 2014 and 2016, the best vintages for him. The vines are on sandy granite soils, but there are some vineyards where there's a little more clay, and the vines are worked organically. It fermented in 3,500-liter oak foudres, where the wine matured with lees for four months. It always has a small percentage of Treixadura, around 4% this year, and in 2019, it reached 14% alcohol, so it's not a shy wine. It might seem incredible, but Treixadura is a very aromatic and balsamic grape and that small percentage is clearly noticeable in the aromatics, which gives Louro a very different profile from the AS Sortes, with a more herbal and balsamic touch. But Palacios tells me that's the freshness of the year (Godello can also be herbal), as they have regrafted a lot of Treixadura. In 2019, there is less Treixadura than in previous years, and there's only one hectare of Treixadura left in his vineyards. The wine does have very good freshness, plus a very salty finish and the granite sensation that gives it an electric touch, complex, powerful and with a profile of a serious wine with very little bitterness; Palacios says it reminds him of the 2005 As Sortes. This has to be one of the best vintages of Louro, a clear step up from previous vintages. 180,000 bottles produced. It was bottled between April and May 2020 from a single master blend.

Wine Advocate (93)

La Gundiñas is the wine that shows the most differences between 2017 and 2018. The 2017 La Vizcaína Las Gundiñas is dark and concentrated, a wine of sun, while the 2018 is delicate and feels like a mini Bonnes Mares! This is quite like a Cornas—meaty, juicy, a little reticent and powerful, with abundant tannins. This is one wine that behaves better in 2017 than in 2016. This is a plot that has ups and down; it might be more regular in the future, as they finally bought it in 2018. Some 5,500 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2019.

Wine Advocate (95+)

There is a bit of an animal hint on the nose of the 2018 La Vizcaína El Rapolao, which Raúl Pérez tells me is always part of the character of the wine when it's young. The difference with the 2017 is the quality of the tannins, which rounder and more elegant here, and the concentration, which is lower here, so this 2018 comes through as more fluid, fresh and elegant, with a silkier mouthfeel. They finally bought the vineyard in 2018, and the change in viticulture resulted in lower yields: they produced 6,000 bottles of this 2018, compared with the 10,000 bottles of the 2017. They have bought three more plots for this bottling, so volumes will grow in the future. The initial sensation fades after the wine has been in bottle for one hour, and it makes sense that it's gong to disappear with some more time in bottle. Pérez thinks it might be related to the recent bottling. It was bottled in May 2020, a few weeks before I tasted it.

Vinous (94)

Shimmering violet. Intensely perfumed aromas of dark berries, cherry pit, incense, exotic spices and pungent flowers, along with a smoky mineral flourish that builds in the glass. Densely packed and chewy on the palate, showing excellent depth and bright mineral lift to the sappy black and blue fruit, spicecake and violet pastille flavors. Gains energy with air and finishes impressively long and juicy, polished tannins building slowly and harmonizing with the wine's mineral-tinged fruit.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2019 La Vizcaína La Vitoriana comes from sandy soils and mostly north-facing vines, delivering elegant and floral wines. It's very young and fruit-driven, perhaps not as complex as the 2020. All of these reds are around 13.5% alcohol, medium-bodied and quite harmonious. 2019 was one of the larger crops, and there are 7,000 bottles of this.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2019 La Vizcaína La Vitoriana comes from sandy soils and mostly north-facing vines, delivering elegant and floral wines. It's very young and fruit-driven, perhaps not as complex as the 2020. All of these reds are around 13.5% alcohol, medium-bodied and quite harmonious. 2019 was one of the larger crops, and there are 7,000 bottles of this.

Vinous (98)

The 2018 The Bard is fabulous and also one of the very finest wines I have ever tasted from Realm. Vertical structure, power and explosive energy infuse the 2018 with tremendous character. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, leather, licorice and lavender are some of the many notes that run through the 2018. This is the first vintage that includes a dollop of Petite Sirah from Bourn. It is also the first vintage in which a portion of the wine was aged in concrete eggs, which seems to add tension and a palpable sense of vibrancy. The Bard is a blend of 40 different lots, everything from Calistoga to Coombsville, a marriage of elements that works so well. Although none of these wines could be referred to as inexpensive, The Bard is a tremendous relative value within the context of high-end Napa Valley. I loved it. The blend is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Petite Sirah.

Vinous (95)

The 2016 Lytton Springs is a powerful, dense wine. Black cherry, plum, lavender, new leather, cloves, licorice and menthol flesh out. Deep, plush and richly textured, the 2016 Lytton Springs packs a real punch. The 23% Petite Sirah is felt in the wine's darkness and overall gravitas. There is more than enough richness and structure to support many years of fine drinking. What a gorgeous wine this is.

James Suckling (94)

Extremely fresh and floral with sliced apples, stones and some white peach. Bread dough, too. Fine bead. Medium to full body with crisp acidity and a steely finish. Hints of phenolics provide a fine texture. Vibrant acidity. About 15% reserve wine (mostly chardonnay) in this, from five vintages. 2.5 years on the lees. 60% chardonnay and 40% pinot noir. Drink or hold.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Pure perfection from Napa Valley, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is, as always, all Cabernet Sauvignon from an incredible site in Rutherford that spent 21 months in 70% new French oak. Incredible aromatics of crème de cassis, darker currants, smoke, tobacco, and assorted floral notes all define the bulk of the bouquet, and it’s full-bodied, with a multi-dimensional, layered texture, ultra-fine tannins, and perfect balance. This is such a magical site, and this wine consistently checks in with the greatest wines of the world. It already offers pleasure yet should have 30 years of overall longevity. Hats off to winemaker Celia Welch and the team at Scarecrow.

Jeb Dunnuck (100)

Another perfect wine is the 2012 Screaming Eagle which checks in as 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc. While just as good as the 2013, it’s made in a very different style and has a lush, opulent, sexy profile as well as the hallmark crème de cassis, white flowers, graphite and spice. With a silky, full-bodied, seamless texture, incredible complexity, ultra-fine tannin, and blockbuster length, this quintessential Screaming Eagle will continue drinking beautifully for 20-25 years.

James Suckling (100)

The subtle and nuanced aromas to this are so enticing with perfumed, floral, blackcurrant and blackberry character. Roses, too. Some lavender. Full-bodied yet so refined and polished with the most transparent and polished texture. Firm and seamless. So beautiful now. Give it three or four years to come around, but this already sings.

Sine Qua Syrah Capo Dei Putti 2014 1x75cl - 3 bottles in the case

99 points | Jeb Dunnuck
Leading off the reds, the extended barrel-aged 2014 Syrah Capo Dei Putti boasts an insane bouquet of cedarwood, white chocolate, caramelized meats, candle way, and assorted red and black fruits. With full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and an incredible elegance, it changed every time I came back to the glass and is a multi-dimensional, riveting red wine from California. A blend of 90% Syrah and the balance Viognier, Petite Sirah, and Grenache, partially destemmed and aged 38 months in 94% new French oak, give this beauty 2-3 years of bottle age, count yourself lucky, and enjoy bottles over the following 10-15 years.

Sine Qua Non Grenache Testa Dei Cherubini 2014 1x75cl - 3 bottles in the case

99 points | Jeb Dunnuck
As with the extended aged Syrah release, the 2014 Grenache Testa Dei Cherubini (80% Grenache, 15.5% Syrah, and the rest Petite Sirah and Viognier) comes all from the estate Eleven Confessions Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills and spent just under 38 months in 25% new French oak, with the balance in neutral barrels (varying sizes). Layers of black raspberry, cassis, white chocolate, white flowers, and Asian spices flow to a full-bodied, supple, powerful Grenache that has silky, silky tannins, a seamless texture, no hard edges, and a finish that won’t quit. It’s already approachable, yet in my experience, this extended élevage results in a very stable wine, and I suspect this beauty will have another two decades of longevity.

Every case contains 3 bottles of each Sine Qua Non Grenache E 2015 and Sine Qua Non Syrah M 2015

 

Sine Qua Non Grenache E 2015

 

100 points | Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate)

  “This is a single-vineyard Grenache-dominated, barrel-selection blend coming from the Eleven Confessions Estate vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. It bears Elaine Krankl’s initial and a portrait Manfred made of Elaine on the label. The blend is 82% Grenache, 12% Syrah, 5% Petite Syrah and 1% Viognier, and 56% was fermented using whole clusters. It was aged for around 38 months in French oak, 28% new.

 

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Grenache E slides beguilingly out of the glass with a powerfully evocative, earthy/meaty nose of wood smoke, grilled meats, fragrant soil, truffles and iron ore with a core of kirsch, blackberry pie, Black Forest cake and aniseed plus touches of wild sage, rose hip tea and Indian spices. The palate is full-bodied, surprisingly muscular and built like a brick house with an unbelievable structure of very fine, densely pixilated tannins supporting the generous, multi-faceted layers, finishing with epic length, jaw-dropping texture and tons of cerebral mineral and spice nuances. WOW! 900 cases, 228 magnums and 30 double magnums were made.” Drinking Window: 2020 – 2035

 

 

Sine Qua Non Syrah M 2015

 

99 points | Lisa Perrotti-Brown (Wine Advocate)

“This is a single-vineyard Syrah-dominant blend coming from the Eleven Confessions Estate vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills. It bears Manfred Krankl’s initial and a provocative self-portrait on the label. The blend is 90.6% Syrah, 4.4% Petite Syrah, 2.6% Grenache and 2.4% Viognier. Forty-three percent was fermented using whole clusters. It was aged for around 38 months in French oak, 66% new.

 

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Syrah M starts off a little closed, slowly unfurling to show layer upon layer of savory notes: peppered salami, woodsmoke, marmite and black olives, beneath a profound core of preserved plums, blueberry coulis and Chinese five spice with fragrant touches of fenugreek, Sichuan pepper, crushed rocks and mossy bark. Exquisitely textured with firm, rounded tannins, the taut, full-bodied, muscular fruit is laced with seamless freshness, finishing with fantastic persistence. This is a Syrah for the long haul! 913 cases, 228 magnums and 30 double magnums were made.” Drinking Window: 2021 – 2050

The Wine Independent (100)

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, with 9% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot in the blend, is deep garnet in color. It strides confidently from the glass with classic notes of cassis and blackberry preserves followed by wafts of cedar chest, pencil lead, wild sage, crushed rocks, and lilacs, plus a hint of black truffles. The medium to full-bodied palate is super-intense, with loads of earth-tinged black fruit layers and a firm structure, finishing long and refreshing.

Jancis Robinson (17.5)

Very mellow and round. Subtle. Juicy, very lovely. Though more herbaceous than most.