La Montesa 2021 - 95 pontos Revista Forbes

La Montesa 2021 (or Finca La Montesa) is a Spanish red from the prestigious Rioja region, made by Bodegas Palacios Remondo under the supervision of renowned winemaker Álvaro Palacios.

The 2021 vintage of Finca La Montesa, made by Bodegas Palacios Remondo under the direction of Álvaro Palacios, was featured in Forbes España after winning Best Wine of the Rioja Region at the 3rd Premios T del Vino. It has earned outstanding scores from international critics: 96 points from Decanter and 94 points from Robert Parker, James Suckling and Tim Atkin.

The Wine Advocate
RP 94

Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

I hadn't yet tasted the 2021 La Montesa, and I'm glad I did. Álvaro Palacios was very proud of this vintage and told me that "many people consider it on the level of an excellent Burgundy village wine for a fraction of the price!" It is indeed great value, all the more so in an exceptional year like 2021.

But it is undeniably Garnacha, with notes of garrigue and aromatic herbs, red cherries and flowers. It fermented with 20% whole clusters in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured in barrel for 12 months. It is clean and precise, with a lacy texture, very fine tannins, flavours of red fruit and herbs, and a long, tasty, subtly chalky finish.

This has to be one of the best vintages of Montesa to date. It has 14.3% alcohol, a pH of 3.5 and 5.3 grams of acidity. It's not a small cuvée — 592,372 bottles were produced! Bottled in March 2023.

For the 2021 vintage, James Suckling gave La Montesa 94 points, highlighting it as a wine of great purity and freshness.

The nose shows intense aromas of dark raspberry and pomegranate, with an elegant mineral note of crushed stone and subtle hints of white pepper. The palate is medium- to full-bodied yet keeps a refined, vibrant texture. The chalky tannins are well integrated and contribute to the overall balance. The finish is long, clean and expressive, showing the energy and typicity of Garnacha.

Overall, Suckling rates it a magnificent wine, praising the precision of the fruit. It is already very appealing to drink now, yet has enough structure to develop nicely in bottle.