“Blackberry and ripe-fruit aromas with black licorice and dark chocolate. It’s medium-to full-bodied with creamy-textured tannins and a long, flavorful finish that is so precise and polished. Great length. Best ever? Cabernet sauvignon, graciano and tempranillo. Drink or hold.”

“Glistening ruby. Deeply perfumed, smoke-accented cherry liqueur and blueberry aromas are complicated by building floral, vanilla and exotic spice accents. Sappy, sweet and broad on the palate, offering densely packed black and blue fruit, licorice, mocha and floral pastille flavors that slowly become spicier as the wine opens up. Shows excellent clarity on the long, oak-spiced finish, which is framed by smooth, polished tannins.”

“Deep garnet. A highly perfumed, complex bouquet evokes red and blue fruits, incense, pipe tobacco, vanilla and mocha, along with smoky mineral and spice nuances that build in the glass. Sappy, palate-staining black raspberry, cherry compote, succulent herb, candied rose and vanilla flavors show excellent depth and clarity, while a spine of juicy acidity contributes cut and structure. Shows excellent energy and detail, finishing with strong persistence, repeating florality and velvety tannins that come in late.”

“The city of Logroño is surrounded by several high mesas, pieces of the original plateau that still stand above the cliffs and the Ebro River valley below. The Pago La Plana is one of them, a flat mesa at an elevation of 1,590 feet, with close to 100 acres of vines at the top of Finca Ygay. On the north side of the plateau, the soil is limestone that hits solid rock five feet below, limiting the penetration of water; the soil shifts to round river stones to the southwest, where the tempranillo and mazuelo vines, planted in 1950, have been the exclusive source for Castillo Y gay since 2001 (prior to that, the wine included other parcels on the 740-acre estate). Great vin­tages of this wine can thrive for more than 50 years, and this vintage appears to be pretty great. It's grand and dynamic, a youthful ten-year-old. Initially austere, gripped by bitter plum-skin tannins and mouthwater­ing strawberry acidity, the wine opens with exposure to air and the fruit begins to blossom with an energy that defines what is great about Rioja.”

“Dusty cherry, plum and cassis aromas are dry and complex, while this feels integrated and balanced just right. Cherry, red plum and cocoa flavors remain young and vibrant, while this pedigreed gran reserva offers its usual depth and length on the finish. Ten years in and this still has more in waiting. Drink through 2045.”