Decanter
94 Points
From a dry vintage, with Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted on deep alluvial soils, winemaker Miguel Torres describes this as: 'A very classic vintage of Mas La Plana.' Black fruit aromas – blackberry, blackcurrant – some blackcurrant leaf, coffee and dark chocolate hints. Complex, layered palate, with mouth-filling black fruit, plum, liquorice, very elegant tannins and well integrated oak (18 months in French oak, 85% new). Very smooth and balanced, showing considerable freshness and finesse.
Decanter
92 Points
This Chardonnay vineyard is planted outside the walls of the medieval Milmanda Castle on silt-rich calcareous clay soil. Decreasing use of new oak means the 2016 vintage was aged for six months in barrel, then 10 months in stainless steel, with lees stirring to create texture. The result is a lovely silkiness to the mid-palate, cut through with laser-sharp acidity. There's an attractive tautness here, with fresh grapefruit and lime balancing the ripe citrus and preserved lemon notes, plus an underlying mineral backbone. Mediterranean aromas of honeyed citrus and dried herbs with fresh thyme...
Decanter
95 Points
Elegant and complex nose of dark bramble and blueberry fruit. Rounded in the mouth with well-integrated wood. Tannins are in the background, as the lively acidity loads up the palate with sparkle and zing. Great stuff.
Decanter
95 Points
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot, first created in 1995 to celebrate King Juan Carlos I of Spain visiting the Torres winery. Grapes are planted in the 4ha Les Arnes vineyard on slate soils, which are unusual for the area. Aged for 18 months in new French oak, it offers generously black-fruited spicy aromas, cassis, damson, cherry, edged with vanilla. Deep, layered palate with dark berries and cassis, framed by elegant tannins and black spices. Juicy freshness to the finish, some richer chocolate notes, spice and leather; good potential for ageing.
Decanter
91 Points
Decadent interplay of sumptuous warm fruits, cedar and vanilla. Oaky and ripe. Very well defined, not aiming for complexity.
Wine Spectator
91 Points
This plush red delivers round, ripe flavors of black cherry, blackberry, cinnamon, clove and toast. The tannins and acidity are gentle, but maintain focus and freshness. Generous, with good depth. Cariñena and Garnacha. Drink now through 2030. 28 cases imported.
jamessuckling.com
93 Points
Lots of plum and sweet-berry aromas and flavors. Deep and rich with layers of fruit and round, integrated tannins. Love the finish. Fruity and layered with beautiful fruit and length. Needs time to come around. Better after 2022.
Decanter
94 Points
From a dry vintage, with Cabernet Sauvignon vines planted on deep alluvial soils, winemaker Miguel Torres describes this as: 'A very classic vintage of Mas La Plana.' Black fruit aromas – blackberry, blackcurrant – some blackcurrant leaf, coffee and dark chocolate hints. Complex, layered palate, with mouth-filling black fruit, plum, liquorice, very elegant tannins and well integrated oak (18 months in French oak, 85% new). Very smooth and balanced, showing considerable freshness and finesse.
jamessuckling.com
92 Points
A creamy, velvety-textured red from the Duero, showing cherries and chocolate with some walnut undertones. It’s full-bodied with pretty fruit and complexity. Lightly salty and savory. Drinkable now, but better in a year to two.
jamessuckling.com
92 Points
Aromas of plums, balsamic and walnuts follow through to a medium to full body with medium chewy tannins and a juicy finish. Very attractive now. Drink or hold.
jamessuckling.com
92 Points
There’s a lot of new wood coming through at the moment, but it shows lots of ripe fruit with linear, racy tannins that draw you through the wine. Nicely crafted. Try after 2021.
Decanter
97 Points
When a famous global brand enters the isolated enclave of Priorat, does it have the sensitivity to make a fine wine? Mas de la Rosa proves it’s possible. A small vineyard, lit by the morning sun, where 80-year-old Garnacha and Cariñena grow on steep slopes. 2016 was the first vintage and Torres has captured the delicacy of the vineyard. It’s silky with penetrating freshness, offering a memory of the slate soil. A great beginning.
Decanter
95 Points
The ’great walls’ in the wine’s name protected the nearby Poblet monastery, which was the burial place of the Catalan kings. The magisterial blend highlights the family work on ancestral varieties, with Querol and Garró adding to the superbly intense and spicy palate. Liquorice, garrigue, succulent berry fruits, developing notes of leather with time, an elegant vintage.
The Wine Advocate
92 Points
The polished and sleek 2016 Petpetual has more of the slate character from the Priorat soil, with notes of graphite, berries and Mediterranean herbs. It's an old-vine blend of 80% Cariñena and 20% Garnacha that fermented in stainless steel vat with indigenous yeasts and an élevage of 18 months in new French oak barrels. It doesn't feel like there's a lot of new oak here, which is good in my book. The palate is medium to full-bodied with abundant, slightly dusty tannins, some rusticity and a dry, serious finish. It was bottled June 2018.
jamessuckling.com
93 Points
A complex and dialed-in style that has fresh pastry and apples with apple-pie flavors and sot, baked-apple flavors at the finish. Drink now.
jamessuckling.com
92 Points
This is a rich and dark-fruited style with a very fresh and sleek, fruit-soaked tannins that offer a long, smooth run on the finish. Drink or hold.
The Wine Advocate
92+ Points
The 2016 Forcada is a new white from Penedès, produced with a recovered grape variety that names the wine. The wine has 12.5% alcohol and a pH of 2.98 with 8.5 grams of tartaric acid—really cold-climate parameters, quite unusual in a zone like this. The full clusters were pressed and the juice fermented at low temperature in stainless steel and kept with the lees until bottling. They like the evolution in bottle, so they tend to bottle it earlier and give it some time in bottle before it's released...
jamessuckling.com
92 Points
A bright and delicious albarino suggesting fresh herbs and yuzu. Full-bodied with a waxy core of preserved lemons, but the acidity is cutting and pure. So delicious to drink now.
jamessuckling.com
95 Points
The aromas of blackberries, dark chocolate and tar are persuasive. Some walnut and smoke, too. It’s full-bodied with firm, lightly chewy tannins and an intense, flavorful finish. Very structured and powerful. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. Needs time to soften. Better after 2022.
jamessuckling.com
92 Points
Purity of fruit in this red, from plums and red berries to ripe strawberries. It’s full-bodied with firm, tight tannins that are polished and soft. Lovely tension and focus. Extremely well done. Try after 2020, but hard to resist now.