montebuena,

  • 2012 Montebuena Cuvee KPF Rioja - 90 PTS - IWC

    tanzer iwc 90 pts"Dark ruby. Ripe cherry, red berries and smoky minerals on the nose. Spicy, firm and tightly wound, with very good lift to the flavors of redcurrant, bitter cherry and licorice. A gripping, lithe midweight, with appealing sweetness and bracing minerality on the long, incisive finish. In an elegant style, with zero excess fat. - JR"
    - Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (September 2013), 90 pts

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  • 2013 Es Lo Que Hay Garnacha Viñas Viejas - 92 PTS - WA

    wa92"The 2013 Es Lo Que Hay wears the subtitle Garnacha Viñas Viejas from old plots on slate soils in the zone of Alarba-Acered in Calatayud, with some Syrah thrown into the fermentation tanks. It fermented in open concrete tanks and aged in underground concrete vats with lees. The nose mixes black fruit with notes of licorice and Mediterranean herbs. This is juicy, with good density, fine tannins and very good freshness provided by the slate soils and the conditions of the year. It has a very tasty finish. This has a lot more freshness than a couple of vintages ago. - Luis Gutiérrez"
    - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #231, June 2017), 92 pts

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  • 2013 Es Lo Que Hay Garnacha Viñas Viejas - Excellent/2 stars - WP

    wplogo"Garnacha from Spain has become a popular cheap red in recent years. Its spicy, fruity expression contrasts with the earthier character the wine has in France, where the grape is known as grenache. The Es Lo Que Hay has that racy Spanish character, with some nice depth and structure to add interest. - Dave McIntyre"
    - The Washington Post (May 2016), Excellent - 2 stars

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  • 2014 Montebuena Cuvee KPF Rioja - 87 PTS - WINE VALUE - WA

    wa300"A sensational value from Spain, this 100% Tempranillo from Rioja Alavesa has a deep ruby color and a fragrant nose of new saddle leather, unsmoked cigar tobacco, and red and black cherries, followed by a seductive, lovely mouthfeel with no hard edges. It is medium-bodied, pure and best drunk over the next several years."
    - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (March 2016), 87 pts - Excellent Wine Values for Under $25

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  • 2014 Montebuena Cuvee KPF Rioja - 89 PTS - VINOUS

    vinous logo"(aged for three months in used American oak barrels) Ruby-red. Ripe cherry, licorice and dark berry aromas are lifted by a subtle note of white pepper. Smooth, fleshy and warm, offring supple bitter cherry and blackberry flavors that pick up a peppery nuance with air. Closes smooth, round and gently spicy, leaving a candied dark berry note behind.- Josh Raynolds"
    - Vinous (January 2017), 89 pts

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  • 2014 Montebuena Cuvee KPF Rioja - VINTAGES LCBO

    "Rioja is the king of Spain and Tempranillo is the king of Rioja. The 100% Tempranillo Montebuena Cuvee KPF has a fine reputation for crafting a wine that offers ripe red fruit with a fine mineral undertone in an elegant, approachable style. This will be a great choice for stuffed pork tenderloin with grilled root vegetables."
    - Vintages Magazine, LCBO (November 2016) - "Uncork something great"

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  • 2015 Montebuena Cuvee KPF Rioja - 90 PTS - VINOUS

    vinous logo"(aged for three months in used American oak barrels)
    Vivid ruby. Bright, sharply focused aromas of fresh red fruits and flowers, along with a spicy overtone and a hint of vanilla. Lithe and appealingly sweet on the palate, offring vibrant, oak-spiced raspberry and cherry flavors and a subtle rose pastille nuance. Finishes supple and long, displaying silky, slow-building tannins and resonating spiciness. - Josh Raynolds"
    - Vinous (January 2017), 90 pts

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  • 2016 Es Lo Que Hay Garnacha Viñas Viejas - 92 PTS - WA

    wa92"The 2016 Es Lo Que Hay is now sold without appellation of origin and contains some 5% each Syrah and Moristel from different vineyards, grown on slate soils. It fermented and matured in concrete for 18 months and was bottled completely unoaked. It's subtle, fresh and elegant, with a juicy palate, vibrant and with good complexity. It was slightly warmer and more tannic than the 2013 I tasted last time. It has the straight character of the slate soils, with hints of Mediterranean herbs. 5,000 bottles were filled in October 2018. - Luis Gutiérrez"
    - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #240, December 2018), 92 pts

  • 2016 Montebuena Cuvee KPF Rioja - 88 PTS - WA

    wa88"The young and juicy 2016 Cuvée KPF from Rioja Alavesa is a custom cuvée from Bodegas y Viñedos Labastida for the American importer Kysela. It has a fruit-driven profile, with plenty of cherries and a spicy touch. The palate is round and soft, medium-bodied, with pungent, clean flavors. - Luis Gutiérrez"
    - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #235, February 2018), 88 pts

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  • 2016 Montebuena Cuvee KPF Rioja - 91 PTS - VINOUS

    vinous logo"Vivid ruby-red. Sexy, oak-tinged red berry and floral pastille scents pick up vanilla and licorice flourishes with aeration. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering sweet black raspberry and cherry flavors that unfold and spread out steadily on the back half. Shows impressive clarity and spicy persistence on the lively finish, which is given shape by smooth, even tannins.- Josh Raynolds"
    - Antonio Galloni's Vinous (February 2019), 91 pts

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  • 2018 Es Lo Que Hay Garnacha Viñas Viejas - 93 PTS - WA

    wa93"The red 2018 Es Lo Que Hay, comes from a vintage Norrel Robertson describes as "one of the standout years in our 17 years producing Garnacha." This is mostly Garnacha, with just 5% other grapes, as it comes exclusively from two old vineyards in the village of Villarroya de la Sierra, and such vineyards always have a small proportion of other grapes, mostly Moristel with a little Miguel de Arco and some Provechón (Bobal). All the varieties fermented together destemmed after a five-day cold soak with the natural yeasts and then matured in Flextank egg for 15 months. This is softer, with more clay and limestone influence rather than the slate soils from the vineyards used in the past for the cuvée. This has more depth and complexity, perhaps from the other grape varieties that complement the Garnacha, and probably has a little more acidity and tannin. It has tension, minerality and good acidity, probably from the Moristel, which tends to ripen a little later than the Garnacha. Tasty. Again, not a shy wine at 15% alcohol but nicely balanced. 3,966 bottles were filled in March 2020.- Luis Gutiérrez"
    - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #248, April 2020), 93 pts

  • 2018 Montebuena Cuvee KPF Rioja - 90 PTS - VINOUS

    vinous logo"Deep ruby-red. Oak-spiced cherry and red currant on the incisive nose. Juicy and lithe on the palate, offering cherry-vanilla and red berry flavors that deepen slowly through the midpalate. Fine-grained tannins lend gentle grip to a persistent finish that features a repeating spice note and a touch of smokiness.- Josh Raynolds"
    - Antonio Galloni's Vinous (April 2021), 90 pts

  • 2019 Es Lo Que Hay Garnacha Viñas Viejas - 93 PTS - JD

    jeb dunnuck logo 250"The 2019 Garnacha Vinas Viejas is just about all Grenache (there are small amounts of Moristel, Miguel de Arco, and Bobal) from ancient vines that saw a touch of stems and aging in concrete tanks. This plump, medium to full-bodied, round, downright sexy beauty gives up lots of ripe red and black fruits as well as peppery spice, herbes de Provence, and sandalwood. It's balanced, has supple, incredibly polished tannins, no hard edges, and is just a beautiful Garnacha that has so much to love. It will keep for 5-7 years, if not longer."

    - Jeb Dunnuck (August 2022), 93 pts

  • 2019 Es Lo Que Hay Garnacha Viñas Viejas - 93 PTS - WA

    wa93"The red 2019 Es Lo Que Hay is mostly old-vine Garnacha with 5% other grapes, mostly Moristel with a little Miguel de Arco and some Provechón (Bobal), from very stony old vineyards in the village of Villarroya de la Sierra. The grapes fermented together with 20% full clusters in concrete and were destemmed after a five-day cold soak with the natural yeasts; then the wine matured mostly in concrete with some leftovers in Flextank egg for 15 months. It's ripe without excess (14.26% real alcohol), balanced by low pH and good acidity and has a powerful Mediterranean profile, round and full-bodied, with hints of dry hay and straw and a touch of dark chocolate. The 2019s are evolving nicely and should have a positive development in bottle, and this is a good example. 8,270 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2020. - Luis Gutiérrez"

    - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (November 2021), 93 pts

  • El Escoces Volante - WA - November 2021

    wa"Norrel Robertson is El Escocés Volante. He now works with 32 hectares of vineyards in the region of Calatayud, and he's going to plant three or four more hectares around the new winery he's planning to build in the village of Cervera de la Cañada. He now produces around 250,000 bottles and a total of 15 labels. In Calatayud, 2019 was slightly warmer and drier than 2018 but not as extreme as in other zones of Aragón, as Calatayud is cooler and the vineyards are at higher altitude. 2020 saw more rain in the spring and a very early harvest; it was an early but complete cycle of a very elegant and balanced vintage. 2020 has the juiciness of 2018 but the wines are more elegant. The wines from 2019 are tannic from lower yields, a little in the style of 2005, a very dry year. The wines from 2019 are evolving nicely and should develop in bottle. The 2020s are more immediate, perhaps not as long lived as the 2019s but very pleasant and easy to drink already. - Luis Gutiérrez"

    - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (November 2021)

  • El Escoces Volante - WA #248 - April 2020

    wa"I tasted via videoconference with Norrel Robertson, the flying Scotsman ("el Escocés volante"), during the Covid-19 lockdown, and he presented a majority of 2018s, a fantastic vintage in many parts of Spain, including Aragón and more specifically Calatayud, the main place where he works. After the catastrophic 2017 when he lost 75% of the crop to frost, comes a year of freshness and fragrant, delicate and juicy wines when there's a shift to using more of their own grapes from the village of Villarroya de la Sierra, a cooler, higher altitude place with red clay and limestone soils rather than the slate found in other parts of the appellation. Some are sold without Calatayud appellation because they are fermented outside the appellation's limits (one of the nonsenses of the rules of the appellations of origin in Spain), and of course, he also works in Galicia, Murcia and Valencia. He produces a grand total of 300,000 bottles per year. Many wines are produced in Flextank (plastic) eggs; he only has a couple of concrete eggs, used for Es Lo Que Hay and En Sus Trece. The wines are exuberant and showy, round and lush, not shy.

    2020 started with the purchase of a 4.7-hectare site on the outskirts of the village of Cervera de La Cañada, where he plans to consolidate production of his own 26 hectares of vineyards under the same roof. Other than preserving some old vineyards, he has also planted some new ones for the future, and he is planning to plant more in the coming years. Among the old vineyards is a new jewel in the crown, a 1.2-hectare stony plot planted in the 1930s with red Garnacha (Fina) and some other local varieties; it was first fermented separately in 2019.- Luis Gutiérrez"

    - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #248, April 2020)