2013 Vinedos de Paganos El Puntido Rioja Gran Reserva 750 ml

In the late 2010s, when Rioja’s icons started rolling out their 2013, the Eguren family waited.

The owners of Sierra Cantabria—best known for their highly allocated $700 Rioja Mágico—released a few wines, but they didn’t put all their cards on the table. In true Rioja tradition, they held back. They were patient. And last year, when they finally released their 2013 Vinedos Páganos El Puntido Gran Reserva, it proved to be worth it. 

The flagship wine from their single-vineyard project, this bottle leapfrogged nearly every ‘13 Rioja rated by Wine Advocate, garnering 97 points and earning a spot as the #1 Gran Reserva of the vintage. Crafted from the lowest-yielding, highest-altitude sections of an estate vineyard already known for its impeccable quality, El Puntido has a lower production than California cult icons like Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate—and only 300 cases of it made it to the US.

“El Puntido” is both the name of the wine and the vineyard it comes from. Located in the heart of Rioja Alavesa and planted to 100% Tempranillo, the site is perfectly situated to express the focused, mineral-driven side of the region. Wine Advocate said El Puntido has “transported [us] to the classical Riojas from yesteryear”—an indication of the absurd quality of the site and the care that goes into the wine.

The 2013 is “a triumph,” in Wine Advocate’s opinion, with a complex mix of primary fruit, secondary flavors, and sleek texture that only comes with meaningful bottle age. To get such flawless quality in the bottle, Viñedos de Páganos spares no time or expense. The grapes are sorted twice—both before and after they’re destemmed—to ensure that only perfect berries make it in. It’s a tremendous amount of work, but the result is a wine with a purity and precision that sets it apart from other top releases from the region.