94pts Vinous

Opaque ruby. Highly expressive, smoke- and oak spice-accented cherry liqueur and blueberry aromas are complemented by building floral, vanilla and tobacco nuances. Sappy, sweet and broad in the mouth, offering densely packed black and blue fruit, spicecake and floral pastille flavors that become livelier as the wine opens up. Shows excellent clarity and dark fruit thrust on the impressively long, oak-spiced finish, which is framed by polished, even tannins. All new French oak.

93pts Wine Enthusiast

Dense aromas of prune, blackberry, leather and vanilla open this lusty, full-bodied Rioja that presses the pedal to the metal. Flavors of blackberry and baking spice transition to mocha and cassis on the flush finish. Drink this fully ripe and extracted Tempranillo-based blend through 2025.

93pts James Suckling

Sweet blackberries with hints of smoke, cocoa powder and balsamic vinegar. A slew of tannins, but easily carried by the fruit. The long finish is softer than the initial impact suggested, with a bitter-chocolate note. Made from 90 and 130-year-old vines. Drink or hold.