Wine Spectator

Top-Rated by Wine Spectator at WineMadeEasy.com

Top-Rated Wines by Wine Spectator

Perhaps most famous for the Wine Spectator Top 100 list released annually at the end of each year, Wine Spectator is at the forefront of wine reviews, wine recommendations, and wine education. Spectator has been in publication since 1976, and their top critics evaluate and report on tens of thousands of wines every year. Take comfort in knowing that, if Wine Spectator liked it, you probably will, too!

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  1. 2015 1item
  2. 2016 3items
  3. 2005 1item
  4. 2018 2items
  5. 2019 1item
  6. 2020 2items
  1. La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 Selección Especial

    2015 / 750 ml. | Item#60493

    JS9797 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Thursday, February 3, 2022
    A perfumed nose of plums, mulberries, mushrooms, caramel, sweet tobacco and sweet spices. Full-bodied with velvety, fine tannins and lively acidity. Balanced and supple with a creamy texture. Delicate and precise with a long, polished finish. 90% tempranillo and 10% graciano. Drink or hold. (James Suckling)
    RP9595 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 14th Jul 2022
    They used the words subtlety, elegance, finesse, delicacy and silk to define the 2015 Gran Reserva 904 Selección Especial, a blend of 90% Tempranillo from their vineyards in Villalba, Briñas and Rodezno with 10% Graciano from the Montecillo vineyard in Fuenmayor that was picked 23 days later than the Tempranillo. The grapes were sorted optically for the first time, and they fermented in stainless steel where the wine went through malolactic too. The wine was put in barrel in January 2016—used American oak barrels built by their own coopers—where it matured for four years, during which time it was racked every six months. 2015 was a healthy vintage with balanced ripeness that delivered wines with good aging potential. They thought the wine needed a little more time in bottle to polish those tannins and have decided to hold it and release the wine around March 2023; it will be marked Selección Especial, the first 904 to do so, as they have very high hopes for this year and believe it’s one of the finest vintages. They think it will develop the sophistication in the palate with a little more time and that is should achieve the silkiness that is the signature of 904. This is very 2015; I saw quite strong tannins in all the 2015 wines I tasted from Rioja Alta. There are some 150,000 bottles of this. (Luis Gutiérrez)
    VN9595 pts. - Vinous - Apr 2021
    Vivid ruby. Expansive red and blue fruit preserve, tobacco, potpourri, spice and botanical herb aromas, with vanilla and smoky mineral notes emerging as the wine opens up. Sappy, penetrating and gently chewy on the palate, offering vibrant, mineral- and spice-accented black raspberry, bitter cherry and rose pastille flavors that deepen and turn sweeter on the back half. Shows sharp focus and floral lift on the impressively long, youthfully tannic finish, which leaves behind notes of candied blue fruits and spicecake. (Josh Raynolds)
    SP9292 pts. - Wine Spectator - Sep 30, 2021
    This elegant, sanguine red offers supple layers of dried cherry, sandalwood, vanilla and Kalamata olive, supported by smooth tannins. Hints of leather, tobacco, mineral and anise echo on the finish. A balanced, traditional style red. Drink now through 2031. 12,500 cases made, 3,200 cases imported. (Gillian Sciaretta)
    Wine Grapes

    Primary Grape: Tempranillo | All Grapes: 90% Tempranillo

    Compare at $89.99 $71.99

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  2. La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890

    2005 / 750 ml. | Item#53423

    VN9797 pts. - Vinous - Apr 2021
    Shimmering garnet. Aromas of dried cherry, potpourri, vanilla, cigar box and exotic spices; a smoky mineral quality builds in the glass. Sweet, concentrated and seamless on the palate, offering cherry compote, red currant and rose pastille flavors that put on weight and pick up a spicy nuance on the back half. Conveys a suave blend of power and delicacy and closes sweet and gently tannic, with superb persistence and an echo of candied flowers and red fruits. This bottling and the 2001 are the only Selección Especial versions of the 890 Gran Reserva that have been produced by La Rioja Alta.
    RP9595 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 28th Jun 2019
    I tasted the 2005 Gran Reserva 890 again, and I liked it better this time than in my previous review, even if I normally like the Gran Reserva 904 better than this bottling, as I find it better balanced. I tend to feel less energy in this wine, as it spends a very long time in barrel, six years in this case. 2005 was an excellent vintage, and they implemented some improvements in the harvest, introducing 350-kilo boxes and refrigerated transport to the winery, which they think provides better grapes and potentially better quality of the wines. The palate is medium-bodied, the tannins have mostly melted, and it has lively acidity that lift the wine up. This is a very classical and polished Rioja. 57,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2012.
    SP9595 pts. - Wine Spectator - Sep 30, 2018
    Cedar and sandalwood aromas give way to flavors of tea, tobacco, dried cherry, forest floor and orange peel in this expressive red. Round on the palate, supported by muscular tannins and juicy acidity. Big but graceful, mature yet lively, in the traditional style. Drink now through 2030. 4,753 cases made.
    Wine Grapes

    Primary Grape: Tempranillo | All Grapes: Tempranillo

    AWARDS & ACCOLADES

    2018 Wine Spectator Top 100 Selection | #4

    Wine Spectator Top 100 selection - 2018 | #4

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    Compare at $225.00 $180.00

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  3. Marqués de Riscal Reserva

    2018 / 750 ml. | Item#59728

    JS9292 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Monday, November 7, 2022
    Classic Rioja here with a refined and savory nose showing fine spices, new leather, iron, plums and orange peel. Elegant and very nuanced on the medium-bodied palate that shows fine tannins and juicy berry fruit. Long, reserved and bright in finish. Drink or hold.
    SP8989 pts. - Wine Spectator - Oct 15, 2022
    Fresh and balanced, this medium-bodied red offers plumped cherry fruit flavors accented by baking spices, iron and Earl Grey tea. Supple tannins lend a plush texture and firm the finish. Tempranillo and Graciano. Drink now through 2025. 90,000 cases imported. (Alison Napjus)
    Wine Grapes

    Primary Grape: Tempranillo | All Grapes: Tempranillo

    $19.99

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  4. Flor de Pingus

    2020 / 750 ml. | Item#59671

    RP94+94+ pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 17th Jan 2023
    There is around 20% new oak in the 2020 Flor de Pingus, and because it has a little younger vines (there was a land-consolidation project in La Horra in 2006!), there’ll be some Garnacha starting in 2021 and maybe some oak vats for aging too. All this shows the direction, where he found structure and volume in the palate, with textured tannins. It’s harmonious and elegant, aromatic and floral, perfumed and showy, with contained ripeness and around 14% alcohol. The palate is quite powerful, with abundant but fine tannins. 110,000 bottles were filled in July 2022. (Luis Gutiérrez)
    SP9292 pts. - Wine Spectator - Mar 31, 2023
    Plush in texture and elegant overall, with a fresh spine of acidity enlivening black plum reduction and crushed black cherry fruit, violet and tobacco, vanilla and mineral accents as they wrap around a firm core of fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2030. 9,000 cases made. (Alison Napjus)
    Wine Grapes

    Primary Grape: Tempranillo | All Grapes: Tempranillo

    Compare at $129.00 $103.20

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  5. Bodega Numanthia Termes

    2019 / 750 ml. | Item#59777

    JS9393 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Friday, September 9, 2022
    Blackberries, crushed stones and pressed flowers on the nose. Very perfumed. Medium-bodied with firm, lightly chewy tannins and a light dark-chocolate, bark and fresh-mushroom aftertaste. Vivid fruit. Crunchy. Fresh for such a hot year and so drinkable now. (James Suckling)
    SP9191 pts. - Wine Spectator - Oct 15, 2022
    Rich and minerally on the nose, showing earth and iron notes that serve as accents to the ripe black plum and cassis fruit on the palate, with hints of eucalyptus and cocoa. A bold red, with fine, dense tannins tightly meshed to the detailed flavor range and lively balsamic acidity. Best from 2024 through 2029. 10,000 cases made, 8,000 cases imported. (Alison Napjus)
    Wine Grapes

    Primary Grape: Tempranillo | All Grapes: 100% Tinta de Toro

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    $22.99

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  6. Cune Rioja Gran Reserva

    2016 / 750 ml. | Item#58674

    JS9595 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Friday, September 9, 2022
    I like the medium-velvety tannins with firmness, brightness and freshness. Full-bodied, racy and energetic. Elegance with structure. 85% tempranillo, 10% graciano and 5% mazuelo. Needs four to five years in the bottle, but already impressive to taste.
    SP9090 pts. - Wine Spectator - Sep 30, 2022
    A fresh red, with tobacco and smoke notes that are fragrant and savory as they waft through plumped cherry and milled pepper. Chalky tannins are a firm structural core, but this is well-integrated throughout. Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo. Drink now through 2029. 4,000 cases made, 2,000 cases imported. (Alison Napjus)
    Wine Grapes

    Primary Grape: Tempranillo | All Grapes: Tempranillo

    $34.99

    Only $31.49 each when you buy a solid or mixed case

  7. La Rioja Alta Viña Ardanza Reserva

    2016 / 750 ml. | Item#59839

    JS9595 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Sunday, November 20, 2022
    Savory and complex with dried orange peel, cedar and plenty of sweet spices, walnuts, caramel, dried mushrooms and pine needles. Shows maturity here, with a medium body and superb freshness. Incredibly long finish with lots of truffle and walnut. Lasts over a minute. Very complete now, but you can still hold it. (James Suckling)
    RP94+94+ pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 14th Jul 2022
    The 2016 Viña Ardanza Reserva was produced with 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha that matured in used American oak barrels for three years, where it was hand-racked from barrel to barrel six times in the case of Tempranillo and five times for the Garnacha, as it had a slightly shorter élevage of 30 months. Against all odds, I found the 2016 to be fresher than the 2015 and less developed, despite the fact that winemaker Julio Sáenz told me he considers it a warmer year. But I have found many wines I like in 2016, and the wine feels very clean and quite harmonious, younger and less developed, with more primary notes and a velvety mouthfeel. 600,000 bottles produced. The wine was bottled in June 2020. (Luis Gutiérrez)
    SP9393 pts. - Wine Spectator - Web only – 2023
    An intriguing red, with steeped raspberry, balsamico, dried black cherry, iron and iodine aromas and flavors. Silky on the palate and finely knit, this is a rich, medium-bodied red that offers supple tannins. A lovely example of Rioja in a more traditional style, this should open well in the decanter or with time in the cellar. Tempranillo and Garnacha. Best from 2025 through 2033. 50,000 cases made, 9,000 cases imported. (Alison Napjus)
    Wine Grapes

    Primary Grape: Tempranillo | All Grapes: Tempranillo

    $43.99

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  8. Lan Rioja Gran Reserva

    2016 / 750 ml. | Item#60686

    SP9292 pts. - Wine Spectator - Jul 31, 2023
    Lively and harmonious on the palate, this medium- to full-bodied version offers an appealing range of pureed black cherry and cassis, minerally iron and smoke, mocha and licorice notes. Silky in texture, with fine-grained tannins emerging on the lingering finish. Shows good focus throughout, yet is very accessible. Tempranillo and Graciano. Drink now through 2030. 15,000 cases made, 3,700 cases imported. (Alison Napjus)
    Wine Grapes

    Primary Grape: Tempranillo | All Grapes: Tempranillo

    $24.99

    Only $22.49 each when you buy a solid or mixed case

  9. Marqués de Murrieta Reserva

    Finca Ygay
    2018 / 750 ml. | Item#59587

    RP9494 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 14th Jul 2022
    The flagship red 2018 Rioja Reserva was produced with a blend of 86% Tempranillo, 8% Graciano, 4% Mazuelo (a.k.a. Cariñena) and 2% Garnacha selected from their 300 hectares of vineyards that exemplifies the character of the vintage and the place. 2018 was a year with good rain and a cool season that resulted in a late harvest, which started on October 1 and was slow and delivered grapes with good freshness. Each variety and plot fermented separately in stainless steel. and the wines aged separately in American oak barrels for 21 months and then settled in concrete until bottling. It follows the path of the 2016, where I noticed a change that is taken further in this, controlling the power and increasing the freshness. It’s very aromatic, a year completely different from the 2017; it has less structure and more freshness and subtler balance and enough oomph, concentration and power neatly compensated by freshness. I believe 2018 was a very good vintage to implement this change. It’s perfumed, fresh, elegant and medium-bodied, with a velvety texture. Superb! 960,000 bottles produced. (Luis Gutiérrez)
    JS9494 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Friday, September 9, 2022
    Savory cured-meat, tobacco and grilled-spice notes to the bright plum, red-date, cherry and green-olive aromas. Quite a juicy, medium-bodied Rioja with fresh and extremely silky tannins caressing the zesty orange and crunchy red-berry flavors. Nuanced, fluid and effortlessly drinkable. Long and extremely elegant. A vintage that highlights layering and freshness, rather than power and depth. 86% tempranillo, 8% graciano, 4% mazuelo and 2% garnacha. Delicious now, but will hold well.
    SP9191 pts. - Wine Spectator - Oct 15, 2022
    Fresh and elegant, with a mouthful of ripe, crushed cherry and red currant fruit, this medium-bodied red is framed by crisp tannins and a minerally underpinning. Enticing hints of eucalyptus, dried fig and cigar box play on the finish. Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha Tinta. Drink now through 2028. 80,000 cases made, 14,000 cases imported. (Alison Napjus)
    Wine Grapes

    Primary Grape: Tempranillo | All Grapes: 86% Tempranillo

    $34.99

    Only $31.49 each when you buy a solid or mixed case

  10. Psi

    2020 / 750 ml. | Item#58672

    RP92+92–94 pts. - Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate - 29th Oct 2021
    The unbottled sample of the 2020 PSI feels young, juicy, very fruit-driven and clean. 2020 was an unusual vintage, first of all because of COVID-19, but it was a year with lots of light, plenty of flowers and a beautiful spring. They were able to harvest quite early and finished two days before the abundant rains (except in Soria, which is a different story) that started on the 20th of September. In Ribera, there will be two different harvests: the wines before the rain and those from after. So, this is very healthy, aromatic and floral, with a spark of freshness but also ripe and round. It’s going to be a crowd-pleaser. It has a bright ruby color, with some 10% Garnacha. It somehow has less Tempranillo character. Volumes are similar to 2019, with around 350,000 bottles that they expect to bottle around June 2022. (Luis Gutiérrez)
    SP9292 pts. - Wine Spectator - May 31, 2023
    Plum sauce and pureed blackberry flavors are an enticing entry to this harmonious red, whose fruit profile and accents of black tea, iron and spice are layered with creamy yet sculpted tannins that firm the lasting finish. Drink now through 2028. 29,000 cases made. (Alison Napjus)
    JS9292 pts. - JamesSuckling.com - Thursday, January 5, 2023
    Dried lemon rind and blueberries with sliced mushrooms on the nose. Bark too. Medium to full-bodied with firm tannins that are rather minerally and salty in nature. Crushed stone and powerful in the texture. A little rustic but real. Old vine character. Drink or hold.
    Wine Grapes

    Primary Grape: Tempranillo | All Grapes: Tinto Fino

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    7 items or less in stock. We will confirm your order by email.

    $32.99

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