95 |
Wine Review Online |
Arrocal is among my favorite bodegas in all of Spain, and by dint of that, among my favorite producers in the entire world of wine. That being the case, it was with great anticipation that I sat down for a study session with the two top wines from the beautifully stylish, complete vintage of 2016, along with the bodega’s always-overachieving “Selección” bottling from 2018 as a point of reference, vintage-wise. The “Ángel” bottling from 2016 is gorgeous, with lovely aromas, virtually perfect ripeness, and wonderful structural proportionality showing it its fruit, acidity, tannin and wood. This wine always exudes “charm,” which is definitely not always the case in higher-end wines from Ribera, which often are marked by a one-two punch of concentrated fruit and grippy new oak when first released — and for years afterward. By contrast, this experience is all about something silken and seamless, and the 2016 vintage of this wine hits a new high in this respect. Already gorgeous, this will develop additional complexities over the next decade with no risk of drying out or losing its fruit. By way of context, you’d pay $100 for wine of this quality from Napa — if you were really lucky.
Michael Franz - May 18, 2021 |
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94 |
Vinous Media |
Deep, shimmering ruby. A highly perfumed bouquet evokes spice-accented red and blue fruits, and floral, vanilla and licorice notes emerge as the wine opens up. Sappy, concentrated and penetrating on the palate, offering sweet boysenberry, cherry and spicecake flavors and a hint of smokiness. Shows excellent clarity and repeating florality on the clinging finish, which is given shape by supple, well-knit tannins. 2022-2032.
Josh Raynolds – July 6, 2021 Central Spain Additions |
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93+ |
View from the Cellar |
The Angel Tinto bottling from Bodegas Arrocal is one of their two very old vine cuvees, as the Tempranillo used for this bottling all hails from the Finca La Clara vineyard, which was planted all the way back in 1936! The vines sit at eight hundred and twenty-five meters above sea level and are farmed organically. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts, undergoes malo in barrel and is aged for twenty-six months in French oak casks. The 2016 Angel comes in listed at fourteen percent octane and offers up a pure, nascently complex and new oaky nose of black cherries, black plums, raw cocoa, cigar smoke, a nice touch of soil and a good framing of nutty and spicy new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and full-bodied, with a lovely sense of nascent elegance on the attack, a fine core of fruit, good focus and grip and a long, tannic and well-balanced finish. This wine needs time to soften up and fully integrate its new oak, but in due course, it is going to be a superb wine. That said, I have the sense that these great old vines deserve to be treated more like Petrus, rather than Angelus, with the malolactic done in tank and a bit less obvious new oak in the personality of the wine, as there is so clearly such great potential here with this old vineyard that it seems paramount to me to not let any aspect of the winemaking get in the way of the expression of underlying terroir in this obviously very special vineyard. This is a very lovely wine, but a bit less new oak and malo in tank could take it to the stars! 2028-2060.
John Gilman - Issue #91 / February 2021 |
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92 |
Wine Spectator |
Black cherry compote, anise and coffee flavors show concentration in this glossy, suave red, layered together with violet, tea and steeped currant elements. Shows good harmony and complexity, with a long finish. Drink now through 2033. 150 cases made, 45 cases imported.
Gillian Sciaretta; September 30, 2021 |
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