Sierra Cantabria Rioja Reserva 2016

94 points Joaquín Hidalgo (Vinous): "The 2016 Reserva is 100% Tempranillo sourced from San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Labastida, Rioja. Aged for 18 months in equal parts American and French oak barrels, this garnet wine unfolds balsamic, mint and bold garrigue-like aromas, accompanied by licorice and briar notes and a sour cherry core. Dry, chalky and juicy on the palate, the delicate and flavorful flow lingers long with a savory finish. Complex and nuanced, the 2016 captures the essence of Sonsierra Tempranillo. Drink: 2024-2035. (Apr 2024)"

93 points Luis Gutiérrez (Wine Advocate): "The 2016 Reserva shows ripeness and jammy fruit with plenty of spice and a powerful, full-bodied palate. It has 14.4% alcohol and a pH of 3.66. They used a little new oak here, 20%, with used 50/50 French and American oak barrels for the aging of 18 months. This was a superb vintage, with quality and quantity, a cooler year with more freshness, and the wines seem to be evolving at a slower pace. It's harmonious and clean, classical and expressive, spicy, with a polished palate and resolved tannins. It is fine-boned, more elegant and has a very good balance—a textbook traditional Reserva from a very good year. It was bottled in March 2020. Drink: 2023-2029. (2/29/24)"

93 points Wine Enthusiast: "[$35 list] This deep-garnet wine has a bouquet of black currant, raspberry, and cocoa powder, with a hint of anisette. Opulent tannins and a well-integrated acidity ply the palate, bringing dark-plum, mocha, anisette and violet flavors that endure in the mouth. Alcohol 14%. (Apr 2024)"

92 points Peñín Guide to Spanish Wine: "Colour: deep cherry. Nose: dried herbs, creamy oak, black fruit, dark chocolate. Palate: ripe fruit, spicy, round tannins. (2023)"