Wine Advocate (99)

The 2010 L’Ermita is approximately 90% Garnacha, 8% Carinena and 2% white grapes, mainly Garnacha Blanca, since that is the mix found in the vineyard, and it has been like this since the 2006 harvest. Every year the grapes are hand-picked and then the 45-odd people that take part in the harvest sit down and go through each and every bunch removing the grapes that are not pristine. So even if the harvest is late, there is no over ripeness in the wine, as all the raisined fruit is removed. The bunches, which are very small and loose, go through a sorting table and the selection is stricter. Nothing less than perfect makes it into the fermentation vats. I saw a beautiful video of the 2013 harvest, which happened later than ever, on November 5, which was breathtaking. Going back to the 2010, the grapes were picked on October 29, and the final yield was a tiny 7.8 hectoliters per hectare, which resulted in 1,254 bottles and a bunch of magnums (and bigger-sized bottles) from the 1.40 hectares of vines. The grapes fermented in oak vats and then aged for 16 months in new French oak barrels. The wine presents itself with an incredible freshness, the nose full of citric notes of blood orange (Alvaro talks about grapefruit), Mediterranean herbs, licorice, violets and aniseed, pure elegance and subtly, with electric, lively acidity (according to the technical data, it has a pH of 3.3, a figure far more common in whites than in reds), pungent flavors, and very good grip. Graceful, elegant, vibrant. The oak is imperceptible, fully integrated into the wine, both in the nose and the palate, as only the very best grapes in the world can do: this is a truly world-class wine, and one of the best (if not the best) L’Ermita ever produced. It’s approachable now, but it should age and improve slowly and for a very long time. Drink 2014-2025+.

Vinous (95)

(100% tempranillo, sourced from a single 3.5-hectare vineyard that reportedly yielded 10 hectoliters per hectare; fermented in a single open-top wooden tank; 15% alcohol): Opaque purple. Intoxicating scents of black raspberry, boysenberry, incense and violet, along with notes of black pepper and anise. Lush, spicy and expansive, offering powerful red and dark berry compote and vanilla flavors and an exotic candied floral quality. Clings impressively on the endless, subtly tannic finish, energized by zesty acidity.

Vinous (94)

(all tempranillo, from a plot of vines that are reportedly over 100 years of age; raised in all new French oak): Inky ruby. Powerful, exotically perfumed black and blue fruit aromas are complicated by notes of incense, candied lavender, mocha and Indian spices. Stains the palate with concentrated boysenberry and cherry liqueur flavors, energized by peppery spices and a strong mineral quality. Complex vanilla, woodsmoke, mineral and floral pastille notes come up on the strikingly long, nuanced finish, which features building tannins.

James Suckling (98)

This is very Asian with black tea, mushroom and bark aromas, and ripe fruit undertones. Full body, round and polished. Edgy structure with blackberry, mushroom skin and cedar. Fantastic finish. Just a baby. Stock up for the cellar. Better in 2020 but already excellent.

James Suckling (96)

Lots of plum character, chocolate, bay leaves and rosemary on the nose. Iodine, too. Full body and lots of concentration, yet this also delivers amazing freshness and balance. Ultra-fine tannins. Finish is very long, flavorful and wonderfully polished. This is all about refinement in combination with power. Drink or hold.

Wine Enthusiast (95)

Certain wines exude a sense of elevated excellence. This one gets to that level via aromas of spice cake, baked plum and tobacco aromas. A stocky saturated palate is structured and built to age, while this tastes of cool blue fruits, herbs, coffee and chocolate. A smoothly textured finish deals cocoa and mocha notes. Drink through 2040.

Wine Enthusiast (95)

Certain wines exude a sense of elevated excellence. This one gets to that level via aromas of spice cake, baked plum and tobacco aromas. A stocky saturated palate is structured and built to age, while this tastes of cool blue fruits, herbs, coffee and chocolate. A smoothly textured finish deals cocoa and mocha notes. Drink through 2040.

Vinous (95)

Opaque ruby. Highly perfumed, spice-accented aromas of black raspberry, smoky minerals and potpourri. Very young and slow to open, offering explosive red and dark fruit flavors and intense minerality, with a sexy note of candied rose. Round, ripe and seamless, with superb finishing clarity that features seductive floral and spice nuance and only a hint of tannins. This wine reminded me of a great Chambertin-Clos de Beze from Rousseau.

Wine Advocate (96)

The 2010 Viña Tondonia Reserva has all I expect from a Reserva from Tondonia, complexity, elegance and evolution, a developed nose with notes of forest floor and wild berries, herbs and flowers, a touch of iodine, brick dust and very fine, polished tannins. It has the seriousness and elegance of Tondonia. This is a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacho (they use the masculine form of the name of the grape) and 5% each Graciano and Mazuelo that fermented in the ancient oak vats from when the winery was created 144 years ago and matured in well-seasoned, American oak barrels for six years. It has 13% alcohol, a pH of 3.4 and 6.6 grams of acidity. 260,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2017.

James Suckling (99)

Marvelous aromas of crushed berries, tobacco, cedar and mushrooms. Some dried cheese. Then turns to flowers. Very complex. Full and intense with fantastic depth and power. It goes on for minutes. It is a wine that exudes tradition but gives a sense of modernity with precise winemaking. Two years in oak, one in concrete and three or four in bottle. Drink on release and age onwards.

Vinous (95)

(malo and 33 months of aging in new French and American oak barrels): Inky ruby. A strikingly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, incense, vanilla and smoky Indian spices, plus a vibrant mineral topnote. Sweet, seamless and expansive, offering sappy black raspberry and spicecake flavors that deepen in the mid-palate while maintaining vivacity. Smooth plays power and depth off of finesse and finishes with superb energy and lift, the velvety tannins adding gentle grip.

Vinous (95)

(malo and 33 months of aging in new French and American oak barrels): Inky ruby. A strikingly perfumed bouquet evokes ripe red and dark berries, incense, vanilla and smoky Indian spices, plus a vibrant mineral topnote. Sweet, seamless and expansive, offering sappy black raspberry and spicecake flavors that deepen in the mid-palate while maintaining vivacity. Smooth plays power and depth off of finesse and finishes with superb energy and lift, the velvety tannins adding gentle grip.

Wine Advocate (95)

The phenomenal 2010 Reserva is produced with 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and some 5% of the skins of Malvasía and Viura grapes used for the white wine after it finished fermenting. Here, they select the grapes from some of their best and oldest vineyards, put them in cold storage for 24 hours and then exclusively select the grapes from the top half of the bunches. It fermented in 7,000-liter oak vats and small stainless steel tanks followed by malolactic and 25 months aging in new French barriques. This is a vintage that deserves to be laid down in the cellar, as it has all the components and the balance to develop into a superb classical Rioja with a few more years in bottle. Everything seems to be in its place, and all components show high quality: the tannins, the acidity, the oak, the fruit... Highly recommended. One for the cellar. 72,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2013.

Tim Atkin MW (100)

Vega Sicilia Único Reserva 2010 (14%) Perfection is as rare in wine as it is in most things in life, but this is a stunning Único, reflecting the quality of one of the greatest vintages of the last century. Blended with 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, as it was in 2009, it's still a very youthful wine right now, with closeknit tannins, thrilling acidity, layers of spices, fresh earth, tobacco, red and black fruits, some oak sweetness and a wonderfully refreshing, leafy undertone. Simply stunning.

Wine Advocate (96)

Since the 2010 harvest, they ferment plot by plot, and it shows. This Valbuena has almost 100 components in it, smaller lots, all of them corresponding to a plot of vines. It has all the signs of being one of the best vintages ever for this second wine from Vega Sicilia, mostly Tempranillo but with 5% Merlot that matured five months in 20,000-liter oak vats, 18 months in new barriques (equal parts French and American oak), three months in used barrels and then five months in the vats again before being bottled in May 2013. 2010 seems to have the exuberance of the 2011 and the seriousness and elegance of 2009. It has the Burgundian philosophy of terroir, with all plots fermented and aged separately, giving each vineyard what it needs in terms of vinification and elevage resulting in something like 40 separate lots to blend. This wine has gained in precision and sharpness, and is very pure with delineated aromas and flavors. It is a world-class wine, possibly the best Valbuena ever. 180,000 bottles and some bigger-sized formats were filled. The wine will be released in 2015. Drink 2016-2025.