Tim Atkin | Dense, oaky, and sturdy, with some sweet coconutty flavors. Firm and slightly acidic, with jammy fig fruit. A tad unbalanced. Too much drying oak. But good potential. | 90

Simon Field | Raw and youthful; deep purple, the nose of stewed tea, lemongrass and a hint of mothballs... Enigmatic en bouche, still relatively unformed, tight, leafy, slightly frying tannins on the finish. Violets and hothouse plants. Perhaps slightly overworked? | 90

Andrew Jefford | Dense, deep, saturated black-red; opaque at the core, though red rather than purple at the rim. Lush raspberry and strawberry fruits, with vanilla, harvested grain, resin, and underbrush. Others among its 2018 peers are more classical, but few are more layered and complex in scent than this wine. It would be better with more air (or a year or two more in bottle). Dense, full, and richly constituted on the palate, this is excellent young Rioja with a huge amount to offer. I can’t quite give it a top mark for the time being, because the aromatic profile strikes me as unsettled just now, but I’m sure all will come good, and this may eventually merit a 92 or 93. | 90