Vigna del Lago sits on Montalcino's northern slope, where the influence of the Apennines create the cooler and wetter micro climate that yielded a graceful, high-toned wine in 2013. Scents of rose petals and soft herbs lead into vibrant red-cherry flavors cooled by brisk acidity. Approachable now for its delicate aromas and vibrant flavors, it has the freshness and structure to age well.

Richly textured, harmonious and balanced, offering lemon, peach and light pastry notes. Shows class and persistence as the lemon and baking spice accents linger on the fresh finish. Drink now through 2023. 3,500 cases made, 350 cases imported.

A very assertive and structured red with fresh red cherries and a palate that delivers abundant, ripe and smooth tannin. Drink or hold.

A juicy and flavorful red with dark-berry, spice and walnut character. Medium body. Firm and silky. Very long and delicious. Why wait? Drink now.

A complex wine that has plenty of ripe red-plum and blueberry notes that lead to a palate that offers a chalky, modern and fresh array of ripe plums and berries with assertive, spicy oak. Drink or hold. – July 2019, James Suckling

This red has density, but remains graceful, with a polished texture supported by well-integrated tannins and gentle but lively acidity. The black cherry, plum, forest floor, smoke and mineral notes are engaging and harmonious. Cariñena and Garnacha Tinta. Drink now through 2030. 1,957 cases made.

This firm white balances a broad texture with lively acidity, delivering pear, melon, toast and mineral flavors that remain fresh and juicy through the smoky finish. Harmonious. Drink now through 2026.

Earthy and mineral notes frame a core of plum and wild herb flavors in this thick red. Firm tannins and balsamic acidity support the dense texture. Subtle, savory and intense. Carignan, Grenache and Syrah. Drink now through 2030. 891 cases imported.

This red is firm, balanced and graceful. Currant and blackberry flavors mingle with smoke, loamy earth and mineral notes. The muscular tannins are well-integrated, the racy acidity lively. Restrained in style, but harmonious. Drink now through 2030.

The 2016 Mas de la Rosa is the bottled version of their new Priorat wine that I previewed last year under the name Santuari de la Rosa. This comes from 1.9 hectares of old vines planted in one of the first known properties in the village of Porrera, on a slope (a traditional "coster"), where the plants only get the morning sun, and the altitude (500 meters) and the constant wind in the zone result in a particularly fresh wine. I didn't have the time to visit the vineyard as I had planned, but I added it to my priority list for the next time I cover the region...

This wine represents the summit of Torres' experience in Priorat. The family has been in the region for a number of years, with its Salmos and Perpetual bottlings, but their deep understanding of the region is demonstrated in this jewel. A single-vineyard that must in time become a gran vinya classificada (grand cru) of Priorat. The name, Mas de la Rosa, honours the floral notes in the nose, with delicate fruit and no sign whatsoever of over-ripeness. Finely grained in the mouth, it's more Burgundian than Mediterranean: so fresh and savoury. Great!

Old-vine Cariñena (95%) and Garnacha (5%) is sourced from plots across Priorat, with the vines all aged between 80 and 100 years. The result is a dramatic, dense and layered wine that still retains an engaging freshness and benefits from thoughtful use of oak: 70% of the blend is aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels and 30% in foudres. Notes of bilberry, mulberry and red currants sit alongside dried fruit and savoury notes of spice and leather. There's some fruit pastille juiciness and mouthcoating tannins. More to come with time in bottle.

Taking its names from the walls surrounding Poblet Monastery in Conca de Barberà, this wine demonstrates the work done by Torres to resurrect native Spanish grape varieties. Along with Garnacha (42%), Cariñena (40%) and Monastrell (5%), the blend includes the less familiar Querol and Garró; parcels are picked, vinified and aged separately, before final blending. With a distinctively Catalan character, this vintage is already quite complete, showing lovely integration of tannins and oak. Vanilla-edged black fruit aromas: black cherries, summer pudding character, warm brown spices...

Perhaps it's the 33 percent Querol component, but from the very first moment you approach this brooding, black-purple wine, something marks it out as exceptional and different from its regional peers. There's drama in the aromas; the sweet black fruits also seem to smell of crushed stone and seed spice. Once in the mouth, the wine is close-knit, vital with inner gathered force. The fruits are more complex than the aromas had suggested once on the palate; they are gently acid-sustained, and those crushed-stone flavours are present on the tongue, too...

This is a super balanced Ribera del Duero that shows blueberries, mulberries, bilberries, sage and eucalyptus. Subtly shaped, this trades in fresh berries, edgy tannins and forthright acidity. Bright on the medium-chewy finish. Drink now.

Fragrant and suave, this is a very enticing modern style Rioja with great balance of fruit. Elegant tannins give the long finish some real complexity. Delicious now, but could age. – January 2018, James Suckling

A floral note of summer blossom accompanies fresh notes of green and yellow apple on this wine's nose. The palate adds creaminess, presenting a harmonious, fruity, elegant and light body with a dry finish. It is a lovely aperitif.

​Mid gold in colour with a very youthful, pure nose of dried apricot and saffron. Great power and density on the palate, with real weight and generosity of fruit. The cut of mouth-watering acidity adds a savoury, earthy quality that brings a lip-smacking, spicy finish. Very powerful and rich, with glossy honey and stone fruits lingering for a minute or more. Superb and very ageworthy.

Bright gold. Sweet and honeyed on the nose, noticeably more youthful and primary than the Blue Label. Almost grapey with hints of raisin and dried apricot. Thick and rich on entry before cutting acidity cleans the palate and prevents any cloying nature. Massive concentration, full of fleshy, dried stone fruits and acacia honey. Great density and length, finishing with acid rather than sugar

Bright gold colour. Honeyed apricots and dried peaches with accents of marmalade and exotic spices on the nose. Great concentration of fleshy stone fruits at the core, with glossy honey and sweet vanilla adding to the complexity. Sweet without any sense of stickiness, this is fresh, vibrant and lifted on a long and sumptuous finish. Very, very moreish – the perfect wine to introduce someone to Tokaji