When the blind tastings were finished, Spanish and French tasters were astonished by a great new name, Atauta stood up to Chateau Latour and Vega Sicilia. Atauta is located in a cool, high corner in the far east of the Ribera del Duero, where the Tempranillo vines are very old and ungrafted. That's almost unheard of! Add very new energy in French winemaker Bertrand Sourdais. He wanted to farm these old vines biodynamically and rescue the best of their tiny berries. The dense extract of berries and black cherries and clean minerality is a wholly new flavor. It wowed Wine Spectator 's Top 100 panel. Maximum excitement, minimum price. -Bob Sprentall B-21 Proprietor
What a beauty! Masculine aromas of black fruits, cola and oak sit there begging to be sipped, while the lush, deep palate is home to dense blackberry, cassis and chocolate flavors. Lively but dense, with tannins, plenty of oak and a finish of black pepper, fudge and vanilla. Complex and exciting Spanish wine. Needs time; best from 2012 through 2018.
95 points - Wine Enthusiast (April 1, 2010)
Dense yet lively, this chewy Spanish red delivers cherry, berry, licorice, mineral and smoke notes. The tannins are firm, yet the wine remains fresh and clean. Oaky, but well-grounded. Best from 2011 through 2017.
92 points - Wine Spectator (June 15, 2010) | 
