Please note that our reviews are based on a variety of sources: samples sent to our team, those we purchase in store, tasting events, those tasted in restaurants and while traveling domestically and internationally.
Red Wine
CVNE Imperial Reserva 2020, Rioja, Spain: Imperial Reserva comes from CVNE's oldest vineyards near the village of Villalba de Rioja, almost entirely bush vines over 40 years old growing on poor, cool clay and limestone soils close to the Cantabrian mountains. A blend built mostly from Tempranillo with smaller portions of three other traditional Rioja grapes goes through careful, plot-by-plot fermentation before maturing patiently in oak. There's real precision here, dried cherry and a streak of graphite carrying through a structure built to age rather than impress in the short term. Drink it now through 2031 with roast rosemary lamb, bison burgers, or roast grouse. Food pairings: roast rosemary lamb, bison burgers, roast grouse. Drink: 2026 - 2032 52467 14% XD 750 mL $50.00 Score: 95/100. September 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart
White Wine
R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Reserva 2015, Rioja, Spain: R. López de Heredia has been fermenting in century-old oak vats with native yeasts since 1877, a defiance of modern winemaking that has made Viña Tondonia one of the most singular vineyards on earth. Many years of patient cellaring have left this Viura and Malvasía blend in surprisingly good shape, still lively after all this time, with a briny minerality running through green olive, dried sage, and a faint marzipan note that asks the drinker to slow down and pay attention. It carries real grip for a white wine, dense and layered, with the kind of extract that means it's not going anywhere soon. Drink it now through 2040 with grilled chicken, seafood chowder, or pan-fried panfish. Food pairings: grilled chicken dishes, seafood chowders, pan-fried panfish. Drink: 2026 - 2035 45500 12.2% XD 750 mL $81.00 Score: 97/100. September 2026. Full Review Add to Shopping Cart