Allende Mingortiz Tempranillo Rioja Alta 2015 750ml

Wine Spectator 93 points: The 2015 Mingortiz is pure Tempranillo from an organically farmed vineyard in Briones that gives the wine its name. It was planted in 1964, a south-facing plot with limestone-rich soils at 515 meters altitude that give the wine length and elegance. The uncrushed grapes fermented in an oak vat after a six-day cold soak. Malolactic was in barrel, same as the élevage, which was in brand new French barriques and lasted 16 months.

It's not a shy wine and hits the scales at 15% alcohol. It's ripe but harmonious, modern, clean and expressive, with the chalky tannins that give that serious mouthfeel. It should be long lived. 9,000 bottles were filled unfiltered and unfined in April 2017. Both this and Gamindez used to contribute to the blend of the red Allende.

Wine Enthusiast 93 points: Finca Allende wines are back in the U.S., and 2015 is a fine vintage to debut this single-vineyard Tempranillo. Its ripe aromas suggest berry and prune, with floral highlights. Lemony acidity bolsters its warm, toasty blackberry and plum flavors. Agile in build, it shifts gears like a fine-tuned transmission.