Vinedos de Paganos El Puntido Gran Reserva 2011 (750ML)

95 Points, Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com: "In contrast, the 2011 El Puntido Gran Reserva comes from a slightly cooler vintage, and it too is 100% Tempranillo from the El Puntido Vineyard. It has cooler red and black fruits as well as beautiful spice, leafy herb, chocolate, and tobacco notes. Medium-bodied on the palate, I love its overall balance, mid-palate depth, and length, and it's drinking brilliantly today, with another decade or more of overall longevity." 07/24

93 Points, Joaquín Hidalgo, Vinous: "The 2011 Gran Reserva El Puntido is 100% Tempranillo sourced from a vineyard planted in 1976 in Páganos, Rioja Alavesa. Aged for 28 months in French oak barrels, this garnet wine with a brick sheen displays notes of menthol, dried figs, cedar, clove, blackberry and cassis, with hints of licorice. Indulgent, intense and overwhelming, the rich palate lingers long with a ripe, evolved flavor. Despite its rapid evolution, the 2011 still embodies the nuanced spirit of Puntido, albeit in a riper style." 12/23