This is very powerful and rich with amazing depth of fruit and ripe tannins. Full body. Round and chewy tannins. Super depth and beauty in this pure tempranillo. Needs time in the cellar. Better after 2021 [till 2036+]. Score - 97. (jamessuckling.com, Dec. 8, 2019)

The extremely affordable 2016 Viña Real Gran Reserva Especial recovers the 'Especial' mention from the old Reserva Especial vintages from a very good year. It's a classical Rioja Alavesa blend of 95% Tempranillo with 5% Graciano from their own vineyards. It's open and expressive, with notes of berries, fresh blood and iron, orange peel and sweet spices with the oak still present and in need of some more time in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied and feels lean and serious, with abundant chalky tannins. This should be a classical vintage of this wine in the making. It matured in barrel for two years and no less than three in bottle. It was bottled in March 2019. Drink date: 2023-2034. Score - 95. (Luis Gutiérrez, robertparker.com, July 14, 2022)

Excellent, benchmark-quality Rioja crianza that shows the spicy side of the vintage. Peppery, juicy and bright, with a medium body and a nice chew of fine-grained tannins. Quite long. A smart buy. Drink or hold [into the mid-2030s]. Score - 93. (jamessuckling.com, Aug. 8, 2024)