91 Points | International Wine Cellar , September/October 2012

(54% viura, 27% malvasia and 19% garnacha blanca; fermented in new French oak, with regular lees stirring):  Greenish-gold.  Poached pear, vanilla and quinine on the nose, complicated by a whiff of floral honey.  Energetic citrus and orchard fruit flavors are softened by hints of smoky lees and vanilla bean.  Turns spicier and deeper on the long, bright finish, which features juicy citrus and melon notes and gentle smokiness.  This emphatically modern white Rioja could stand in for an elegant New World chardonnay.