Rioja

Score

92+

"Diego Maga¤a only started to produce a bit of Rioja to augment his fine lineup of Bierzo wines when he found a few old vine parcels in 2016. He makes his regular bottling of Rioja from vines that range from thirty to fifty-something years of age, with the field blend primarily planted to tempranillo, but also including small percentages of garnacha, graciano, mazuelo and viura, amongst others. His 2021 Rioja is a lovely young wine, coming in at 13.5 percent octane and offering up scents of raspberries, a touch of fruitcake, garrigue spice tones, stony soil, cedar and cigar smoke. On the palate the wine is deep, focused and full, with fine depth at the core, chewy tannins, fine balance and a long, vibrant and nascently complex finish. Once this has had its period of hibernation, it will be excellent. 2033-2075+"

Score

92

Score

92

"Intense and flavorful, the 2021 Anza is a blend of 87% Tempranillo with 13% Garnacha and Graciano from Laguardia and Elvillar, Rioja Alavesa. Fermented with 15% whole clusters and aged 12 months in oak barrels, the wild-herb-driven nose also features cherry and cinnamon against a backdrop of cedar and oak. Dry and juicy with fine tannins, this delicate wine has an expressive, mildly taut texture."

Score

94+

"The 2021 Anza wants to show the typicity of Laguardia and Elvillar with freshness, precision and no makeup. It's a blend of grapes‡Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano, Malvas¡a, Calagra¤o, Viura and Moscatel‡from different vineyards that were fermented by plot with some full clusters and a significant amount of white grapes. It matured in 500-liter barrels and oak vats of different sizes. It has 13.5% alcohol and a little more depth and clout compared with the 2022, and it's fine-boned and has very elegant tannins. Precision, my friends. 21,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2022."