2015 Bodegas Palacios Remondo "La Montesa" Crianza Rioja

A very cool wine. Made from almost all garnacha, it has a depth and intensity with a minerality and saltiness. Plenty of strawberries and flowers. Medium body. Vivid and focused. Lovely finish already. Drink now. Made from organic grapes. (7/2017)

Spot-on: La Montesa is now in its right place. Ripe, polished Garnacha, with notes of herbs and spice, and a slight seasoning of Tempranillo. Long, confident, finely integrated oak, full-flavoured finish. (SJE)

Always a sure value, the 2015 La Montesa, has been increasing the amount of Garnacha in its blend, and here it reached 92% with the remaining 8% being Tempranillo. La Montesa is the name of a large estate where different lieux-dits, or "parajes" in Spanish, contribute to the blend of Valtomelloso, Valfrio and Valviejo. The grapes were hand-picked throughout October, then destemmed, crushed and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats, with remontage, where it also underwent malolactic fermentation. The wine matured in barrel for 12 months before being bottled. There is a big jump from La Vendimia to La Montesa in finesse, freshness and subtleness. The tannins are ultrafine, and the flavors are intense and deep, with some spicy undertones and a very tasty finish. Amazingly good. A whopping 650,000 bottles and some other formats produced. The quality is amazing for the volume, and it's also a good value. (LG) 92+ (2/2018)

Silky and polished, this red is graceful and lively, with cherry, raspberry and orange peel flavors mingling with clove, toast and mineral notes. Lively and energetic, showing purity and balance. *Smart Buys* (TM) (8/2018)

Youthful violet color. Vibrant red fruit, floral pastille, cola and exotic spice aromas show excellent delineation and pick up a minerally flourish as the wine stretches out. In a juicy, energetic style, offering appealingly sweet raspberry, cherry-cola, star anise and mocha flavors that deepen on the back half. Finishes with resonating red fruit and floral qualities and harmonious tannins that come on late. (JR) (2/2019)

Alvaro Palacios has roots that run deep into the soil of Rioja. He was born into one the region's most prestigious winemaking families, the force behind Palacios Remondo, yet his interests have always been grander. Rather than slide simply into a position at the family winery, Alvaro decided to go out and do his own thing for a while. During the '80s he worked in Bordeaux with Jean-Pierre Moueix, then decided to purchase his own winery in Priorat where he worked avidly to help put that region on the map. During that time, Alvaro advocated for the lesser known wine regions of Spain, eventually coming back to the family winery in Rioja. Once home, he set to work using his experiences elsewhere to get the business back on track, while at the same time rethinking exactly what Rioja is about. Today he's considered one of the region's forward-thinking leaders. There's a reason Alvaro Palacios was named Decanter magazine's "man of the year" for 2015. He's completely reimagined what it takes to make top quality Rioja, with the goal of maximizing terroir, cutting back on oak, and showing respect for the land. As a result, the wines from Palacios Remondo have become brighter, livelier, and more expressive since his return, but the best is still yet to come.