94 from the Wine Advocate:
This is the vintage that best expresses the change toward more freshness and the expression of the place but with depth and the aging potential that they want to keep. There is an evolution, and this 2016 is aromatic and floral, with some complexity and nuance. They ferment and age separate lots that have the common character of the soil, and they do a blend after the élevage. This is the most elegant vintage for this bottling; there is a lot of precision that I like—perfect ripeness and very integrated oak—with some varietal characteristics. It's a happy wine but not banal. A superb 2016 from Ribera.
And 94 from Vinous:
Inky ruby. Dark berry and cherry liqueur, fruitcake, smoky oak and a touch of vanilla on the deeply perfumed nose. Stains the palate with pliant black and blue fruit, mocha and floral pastille flavors, while exotic spice and mineral nuances build in the glass. Fleshy and concentrated but surprisingly lively thanks to a core of juicy acidity. Finishes on a gently tannic note, displaying excellent clarity and strong, smoky persistence.
British wine writer Jancis Robinson also gives this a top score, and even rates it above their $80 Maria bottling. As she says:
Heady nose. Rich start yet savoury finish. Really zesty and beautifully balanced though with lots of fine tannin tucked in there so that the finish is bone dry but not uncomfortably drying. Argues the case for high-elevation vineyards!
