Winemaker Notes
Sensations of vibrancy. A penetrating wine. Intertwined mature tannins. An easy-going structure with a succulent finish.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Really fresh with plenty of dark cherries, blueberries, stones and slate. Chalky, assertive tannins on a naturally concentrated palate. Bountiful fruit in a long, mineral finish. Expressive and vivacious, too.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The bottled 2021 Quintanilla comes from a very white soil that is very rich in limestone. The wine has a lot of tension and tannins with more grip than La Hoya. It has balance but feels dynamic and has very good depth. It has notes of licorice and a minty touch. It feels really energetic and nicely textured, with a fine thread on the palate and some austerity, similar to La Hoya (they are only 100 meters apart), but La Hoya is juicier and this is more serious and austere. Rating: 94+
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Vinous
The 2021 Quintanilla is 100% Tempranillo from a vineyard planted on calcareous soils in 1950 in Elvillar de Álava, Rioja Alavesa. Deep purple in color, it showcases enticing aromas of cherry, blueberry and strawberry, complemented by hints of wild herbs and violets. It's dry, chalky and compact on the palate, possessing a taut and energetic character that highlights the blue fruit notes. This is a terroir-driven wine with a modern twist, emphasizing focus and a fruit-forward expression.
Hailed as the star red variety in Spain’s most celebrated wine region, Tempranillo from Rioja, or simply labeled, “Rioja,” produces elegant wines with complex notes of red and black fruit, crushed rock, leather, toast and tobacco, whose best examples are fully capable of decades of improvement in the cellar.
Rioja wines are typically a blend of fruit from its three sub-regions: Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental, although specific sub-region (zonas), village (municipios) and vineyard (viñedo singular) wines can now be labeled. Rioja Alta and Alavesa, at the highest elevations, are considered to be the source of the brightest, most elegant fruit, while grapes from the warmer and drier, Rioja Oriental, produce wines with deep color, great body and richness.