Tim Atkin | Classic 2016 Rioja. Pleasant enough, but this lacks concentration. Savory and lightly balsamic. Good to drink now, but it won’t evolve further from here. | 88

Simon Field | Bright but deep ruby, legs and tears stain the glass in expectation. Nose tight, a little reduced, meaty, plush, eloquent, and resourceful; myrtle fruit, sous-bois, and bitter chocolate. Fine lapidary tannins support a harmonious mid-palate exposition, dark fruit and spice finely poised in youthful juxtaposition. | 90

Andrew Jefford | Dark black-red but no longer opaque. Deep, gathered, cake-like fruits make for an attractive, classical but rather generalized aroma without clear allusions or crisp focus. A touch of mint and pine indicates relative maturity. Soft, open, fresh, and lively; ample acidity and tannin, but as so often with 2016, the fruit core is not quite up to the task. Still all there, and it drinks well for all that. | 89