Tenuta Luce Lucente 2021
Tenuta Luce Lucente 2021
Lucente 2021 shows a brilliant ruby red color. The nose is rich in black fruits such as blueberries and blackberries, accompanied by a light balsamic and pan brioché note. The palate is soft supported by a nice freshness, with enveloping tannins and a long fruity aftertaste.
91 WinesCritic
Valenciso Rioja Reserva 2019
Valenciso Rioja Reserva 2019
The 2019 Valenciso Reserva is highly regarded by critics, often praised for its balance between classic Rioja style and modern, elegant, and fresh characteristics. It is produced from 100% Tempranillo, typically aged in French oak for around 17–19 months.
Critic Ratings & Notes
Critics have awarded the 2019 Valenciso Reserva scores ranging from 92 to 94 points.
Tim Atkin MW (94 Points): Described the wine as "youthful, structured and vigorous," a "compact, serious, age-worthy red" with dark plum and blackberry fruit and a "balsamic undertone".
James Suckling (93 Points): Noted "ripe, racy aromas of dark plums, cherries, dark earth, walnut husks, dark mushrooms and graphite" and a "restrained and rather understated" style with a medium body and "fine-grained tannins".
Decanter (93 Points): Highlighted "fleshy black fruit" integrated with "subtle savouriness of thyme, wild oregano, macerated sage and mint".
Vinous (92 Points): Described a garnet hue with "red fruit, cherry and light jammy notes alongside gentle oak" and a "dry and juicy" palate with "firm, fine-grained tannins and good intensity".
General Characteristics
Reviewers note a perfumed aroma with violet, blackberry, and savoury spice. The palate is described as juicy and powerful, with "gentle" or "fine" tannins. The wine shows balanced acidity and a structure suggesting good aging potential. The overall style is often called "understated" and "elegant".
Pairing & Drinking Window
Recommendations for food pairings include roast lamb, game pie, strong cheeses, and grilled dishes. The wine is suitable for drinking now but has the structure for further aging, with suggested windows generally extending from 2024 to 2035.
These reviews detail the tasting notes and ratings for the 2019 Valenciso Reserva, highlighting its complex aromas, palate structure, and potential for aging.
Prats & Symington Post Scriptum 2023
Prats & Symington Post Scriptum 2023 is a Portuguese red wine crafted from Touriga Nacional, along with Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz. From the esteemed Douro Valley, it exhibits a deep ruby hue and a bouquet of ripe red fruits, subtle spices and oak influences. The palate reveals a structured body, characterised by a moderate acidity and firm tannins, providing a savoury finish. Prats & Symington, established in 1998, is known for its commitment to sustainable practices, ensuring meticulous vineyard management and quality.
Bargylus Grand Vin de Syrie Rouge
The wine is as intense as you would expect from an emissary from the arid land of the crusades, with the fragrance of balsam and savoury spices plus a top note of some dried herbs, but it manages to remain wonderfully fresh and appetising on the finish too after intense, ripe, quite complex fruit. Eastern promise indeed! I really don’t think many people would be disappointed by what this wine has to offer. It is 14.6% alcohol but is chock-full of flavour. Jancis Robinson, (17)
Blend composition
~60% Syrah
~20% Merlot
~20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Bodega Numanthia 2019
The Numanthia 2018 is a powerful, complex red wine from Spain's Toro region, made from Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) grapes, known for its intense dark fruit (plum, blackberry), spice (clove, vanilla, cocoa), and earthy notes (herbs, graphite) with velvety tannins and a long finish, offering richness balanced by elegance and acidity, often scoring in the low to mid-90s from critics. It's a full-bodied wine that ages well and pairs wonderfully with roasted meats, game, and rich Spanish dishes.
Merum Priorati Inici 2020
The Merum Priorati Inici 2020 is a powerful, structured Spanish red from Priorat, a blend of Garnacha, Carinena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and sometimes Merlot, offering intense notes of black cherry, licorice, vanilla, oak, and spice, with a mineral-driven palate of ripe red fruits and firm tannins, best paired with rich meats like lamb or rabbit. It's known for its deep color, rich aroma, balanced acidity, and lingering spicy finish, reflecting the region's unique slate soils (llicorella).
Journey’s End V5 Shiraz
Petrolo Torrione 2022
This wine is mostly Sangiovese with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon. The Petrolo 2022 Torrione reveals a luminous ruby tinge and follows through with bold cherry, blackcurrant and crushed rose. This vintage brings forth more textural heft in terms of mouthfeel, and it feels a little richer on the finish. You get excellent quality at a still-affordable price.” Monica Larner, WINE ADVOCATE 94 points
“The 2022 Torrione is a bold, fruity wine with terrific up-front intensity and tons of charm. Crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, cinnamon, new leather and cedar fill out the layers. This approachable, juicy Torrione is a delight.” – Antonio Galloni, VINOUS 93 points
Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon 2021
Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is complex and stylish, with aromas of blackcurrant leaf and coffee bean which progresses into a palate that’s structured and racy with hints of leather, dark chocolate and sweet blackberry. The firm tannins yields a gripping mouthfeel from the first sip through to the long lingering finish.
5 STARS - PLATTER'S WINE GUIDE 2025
Food Pairing
A butterflied leg of lamb or a lamb steak with rosemary and potato dauphinoise on the side.
Bodegas La Horra Corimbo I 2018
Corimbo I 2018
100% Tempranillo
In the glass shows a deep, youthful cherry-garnet colour. The nose is immediately complex and layered, combining ripe black cherry and plum with fresher red-fruit tones. These are complemented by aromatic wild herbs, balsamic notes and a subtle forest-floor character, underpinned by well-judged oak influences of cedar, cocoa and gentle sweet spice. A faint mineral and graphite edge adds further complexity and lift.
On the palate, Corimbo I 2018 is full-bodied yet notably fresh, with a sense of poise that distinguishes it from more muscular interpretations of the region. The fruit profile remains focused and precise, supported by vibrant acidity and finely grained, polished tannins that provide both shape and length. Oak is present but unobtrusive, contributing texture and savoury nuance rather than dominance. The finish is long and persistent, marked by balsamic freshness, spice and a subtle mineral resonance.
Overall, this is a sophisticated and age-worthy Ribera del Duero that demonstrates restraint, clarity and structural harmony. While already expressive with decanting, its balance of fruit concentration, acidity and tannin suggests a long and positive evolution in bottle over the next two decades.
Hermanos Peciña Señorío de P. Peciña Gran Reserva 2014
Hermanos Pecina Gran Reserva Rioja 2014
⭐ Critical Acclaim
Vinous – 93 points
Praised for its lifted, balsamic-tinged aromatics, blending herbal notes, dried flowers, subtle vanilla and black fruit. Critics note a dry, elegant palate with sharp acidity and a lighter, more refined Gran Reserva structure.
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate – 92 points
Described as already showing appealing development and tertiary complexity. Notes of sweet spices, leather, brick dust and subtle savoury tones. Considered a graceful, lighter-bodied Gran Reserva with polished texture and excellent balance.
Wine Spectator – 90 points
Commended for its earthy, savoury style, with dried cherry, plum, thyme, vanilla and a hint of iron. The tannins are light and creamy, and the wine is seen as balanced, clean and modestly structured, with a good mid-term drinking window.
Tim Atkin MW
Highlights it as a “real deal” traditional Gran Reserva: subtle, nuanced and savoury. Notes of red berry fruit, leather, pastry spices and bright acidity. Commended for finesse and balance, with drinking potential through the early 2030s.
Groot Constantia Gouverners Reserve Red 2021
The Groot Constantia Gouverneurs Reserve Red 2021 is a South African red blend from the Constantia region, featuring notes of blackcurrant, dark chocolate, and cedar. It is a full-bodied, complex wine with a firm structure and aging potential, made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.
