2018 Cuentavinas (Eduardo Eguren Ramirez) Los Yelsones, Rioja (Was $219.99)

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: 94 points

"I love the 2018 Los Yelsones, a pure Tempranillo from a vineyard in San Vicente de la Sonsierra. Planted in 1970 in the higher part of the village at 550 meters in altitude, this vineyard has abundant blocks of calcium carbonate that they call "yelsones," which give the wine its name. It's the wine with more finesse and better-quality tannins. The destemmed grapes fermented in small oak vats, and the wine went through malolactic in new 500-liter French oak barrels, where it matured for 18 months. It combines power and elegance, and it's nicely textured, with a fine thread and focused and clean flavors. It's medium-bodied and has a moderate 13.5% alcohol and shows contained ripeness and extraction. Truly impressive, it's a great debut. 2,070 numbered bottles and 50 magnums were filled in June 2020." - Luis Gutierrez

Review Date: October 2020