"The spirit of my father" how Miguel Merino describes this wine, made in the year in which the founder of this small Briones bodega passed away. I’m sure Miguel Senior would have been proud of this wine and the deservedly high score it has achieved. Showcasing a remarkable vineyard planted in 1946, this is a graceful pairing of Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha, showing subtle reduction, understated grip and tannins, blood orange and bramble flavours, a breath of oak spices and incredible elegance and precision. Perfection.2025-32 100 Pts Tim Atkin MW, 2024 Rioja Report

The flagship red 2021 La Loma is floral, clean and elegant. It comes from a single vineyard that has always been special for them. It's 90% Tempranillo with 10% Garnacha from vines planted in 1946 that they've been producing separately since 2015, but they were not able to purchase it until 2021 (congrats!). The nose is nice and elegant, and the palate is serious, austere and mineral, with a strong chalky and stony feel. 2,282 bottles were filled in April 2023 after 14 months in used 500-liter French and Austrian barrels. 94Pts - Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate

Miguel Merino has 7.3 hectares of vineyard, all in Briones, divided into 16 plots planted between 1918 and 2023. In addition, he controls about six hectares more from four external suppliers, also in Briones. Production is 60,000 bottles. He's been on a roll since he took over in 2017 from his late father.

He talks about some very different vintages back-to-back (2017 and 2018, 2020 and 2021), with the last three being very warm.