Press Review - Vinous - Atlantic Spain

01.15.16

AZUL Y GARANZA Garciano 2013 || 90 points
“Brilliant ruby-red. Perfumed scents of blueberry and cherry open up and deepen with aeration. Notes of licorice and bitter chocolate emerge on the palate, joining concentrated, appealingly sweet black and blue fruit flavors. In a plush but energetic style, finishing with strong punch and very soft shaping tannins.”

AZUL Y GARANZA Seis 2013 || 91 points
“Bright purple. Smoky, sharply focused aromas of fresh cherry, raspberry, lavender and white pepper. Chewy, energetic and subtly sweet, showing very good depth to its cherry liqueur and black raspberry flavors. Tangy acidity gives lift and definition to the very persistent finish, which features fine-grained tannins and a sexy floral nuance.”

BODEGAS GODEVAL Godello 2014 || 90 points
“Pale yellow. Sharply focused, highly perfumed scents of fresh lemon, white flowers and beeswax. Dry, taut and minerally on the palate, offering bitter citrus pith and green apple flavors that flesh out with aeration. Shows very good clarity and mineral cut on the finish, which hangs on with strong floral tenacity.”

BODEGAS GODEVAL Cepas Vellas 2014 || 92 points
“Light, green-tinged yellow. A complex, intensely perfumed bouquet evokes fresh Meyer lemon and tangerine, lifted by a potent mineral topnote and a hint of jasmine. The citrus fruit and mineral flavors show excellent focus and depth but zero fat, with a hint of iodine emerging slowly. Emphatically mineral-dominated on the long, focused finish.”

BODEGAS VALDESIL Montenovo 2014 || 91 points
“Pale yellow. Nervy, spicy and focused on the nose, displaying intense citrus and orchard fruit aromas plus hints of salty minerals and jasmine. At once juicy and seamless in texture, offering bitter lemon pith and quinine flavors that gain in depth on the back half. Finishes with very good persistence, echoing minerality and a lingering floral note.”

BODEGAS VALDESIL Valderroa 2013 || 90 points
“Brilliant ruby-red. Aromas of fresh red berries and candied lavender on the fragrant nose, with a hint smoky minerality adding lift. Juicy, sharply focused black raspberry, bitter cherry and floral pastille flavors are lifted and braced by tangy acidity, which adds back end cut. Packs a solid punch and shows very good clarity on a long, silky and emphatically floral finish.”

BODEGAS VALDESIL Pezas da Portela 2012 || 92 points
“Light, bright gold. Deeply pitched aromas of dried citrus and orchard fruits, fennel and white flowers, with smoky mineral and iodine flourishes adding complexity. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, offering concentrated Meyer lemon and pear skin flavors that tighten up on the back half. This rich yet nervy wine finishes with excellent focus and mineral drive.”

BODEGAS VALDESIL O Chao 2012 || 93 points
“Hazy yellow-gold. Complex, intensely perfumed scents of tangerine, jasmine, brioche and dried fig, with a smoky mineral overtone. Penetrating and concentrated, with juicy acidity contributing verve to the hefty?? orchard and citrus fruit flavors. Rich but also minerally and incisive, finishing with superb energy and floral persistence.”

CAMINO Roca Altxerri Txakoli 2014 || 90 points
“Pale yellow. High-pitched aromas of lemon zest, orange, pear and chalky minerals, accented by a gingery topnote. Clean, sharply focused citrus and underripe orchard fruit flavors are enlivened by a bitter quinine note. Finishes firm and taut, with strong mineral bite and a lingering floral note.”

BOTIJO ROJO Garnacha 2013 || 89 points
“Vivid ruby. Jammy black and blue fruit scents are lifted by a peppery element and a hint of fresh flowers. Smooth and seamless on the palate, displaying an appealing sweetness to its plum, blueberry and cherry flavors. Emphatically fruity and very easy to drink, finishing with good cling and very soft tannins.”

BOTIJO ROJO Garnacha Vinas Viejas 2011 || 90 points
“Vivid ruby. The nose displays an array of deeply pitched dark berry and floral pastille scents, with a smoky nuance building in the glass. Sweet and seamless on the palate, offering juicy black raspberry and boysenberry flavors sharpened by a peppery nuance. Smooth tannins give shape to the sweet, lingering finish.”

NEBOA Albarino 2014 || 90 points
“Light, bright gold. Spicy, high-pitched aromas of underripe pear, minerals and white flowers. Dusty, dry and focused on the palate, offering taut, refreshingly bitter-edged citrus and orchard fruit flavors. Closes clean, silky and very long, with an echo of zesty citrus fruits and strong cut.”

TOMAS CUSINE Auzells 2014 || 90 points
“Pale yellow. Ripe pear and honeydew on the expansive, mineral-accented nose and in the mouth. Fleshy, dry and focused, with strong mineral snap on the back half and a building floral quality. The pear and mineral notes resonate on a long, focused finish that leaves a hint of tarragon behind.”

TOMAS CUSINE Llebre 2013 || 90 points
“Bright violet color. Fresh red fruit scents are complicated by suggestions of candied flowers and allspice, with a hint of cola in the background. Swet and silky on the palate, offering juicy raspberry and cherry flavors that firm up slowly on the back half. Shows good energy and thrust on the finish, which is firmed by smooth, slow-building tannins.”

TOMAS CUSINE Vilosell 2012 || 91 points
“Deep ruby. Displays smoke-accented aromas of blackberry and cherry pit that are complemented by suggestions of allspice and licorice. Sappy and broad on the palate, offering appealingly sweet dark berry and cherry compote flavors that pick up a violet nuance with aeration. Fine-grained tannins give shape to the long, floral-tinged finish, which leaves a note of peppery spices behind.”

TOMAS CUSINE Geol 2011 || 92 points
“Vivid ruby-red. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red berries, potpourri, cola and vanilla, with a smoky mineral overtone that builds with air. Sweet and penetrating on the palate, offering intense raspberry liqueur, floral pastille and spicecake flavors that are lifted and sharpened by juicy acidity. The floral quality drives a very long, supple finish that features harmonious tannins and a late suggestion of anise. I like the interplay of power and finesse here.”

TOMAS CUSINE Finca la Serra 2013 || 92 points
“Bright gold. An exotically perfumed and expressive bouquet evokes fresh citrus and orchard fruits, chamomile, iodine and candied ginger, with a smoky mineral overtone. Stains the palate, with intense Meyer lemon and pear nectar flavors that are sharpened and lifted by juicy acidity and a hint of white pepper. Powerful yet graceful in style, with excellent finishing focus, energy and mineral driven persistence.”

TOMAS CUSINE Finca Racons 2013 || 92 points
“Light, green-tinged gold. Powerful aromas of ripe peach and pear, with honey, vanilla and floral nuances adding complexity. Full and broad but energetic on the papate, offering pliant pit fruit and melon flavors that are tightened up by a suggestion of bitter orange pith. The floral note repeats emphatically on a very long, focused finish that leaves a refreshingly bitter pear skin note behind.”