97 Pts Wine Review Online

"If you've still not experienced the remarkable quality that top vintners can coax from the Mencia grape in the remote, rugged region of Bierzo in northwestern Spain, this would be the bottle to try. Even at this young age it is remarkably complex, which is in turn attributable to its outstanding proportionality in the sense that no particular element overshadows the others. It shows subtle floral aromas akin to those one might find in Barbaresco or Cote-Rotie, followed by fruit notes that run red as well as black, recalling cherries, plums and blackberries. Oak influence is apparent but subtle, with toasty, spicy notes and a bit of grip from wood tannin in the finish, but the fruit easily counterbalances the oak. As if this were not enough, the wine shows an almost palpable minerality recalling wet slate and graphite. Finally, the wine's texture is almost as interesting as its aromas and flavors, seeming soft thanks to the ripeness of the fruit, but also focused on account of ample acidity and very fine grained tannin. This is in a league with the world's very best red wines, and in that context it remains very fairly priced- for the moment."

93 Pts Jay Miller - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

"The 2008 Paixar was fermented with native yeasts and aged for 16 months in new French oak. The wine is a glass-coating opaque purple color with a brooding bouquet of pain grille, mineral, exotic spices, incense, lavender, and black raspberry. Dense, packed, and opulent in the mouth, it effortlessly conceals enough ripe tannin to evolve for another 5-7 years. It will offer a drinking window extending from 2016 to 2028. Although there is no track record to help estimate longevity, the purity of fruit, the balance, and the wine’s structure make me confident that it will see its 20th birthday in peak form."

"Bodegas y Vinedos Paixar owns 80-year-old Mencia vines at high elevation resulting in a harvest typically 15 days later than the rest of Bierzo." (06/11)

93 Pts Josh Raynolds - Vinous Media

"Bright purple. Intense, mineral-accented aromas of dark berries and cherry-cola, with complicating notes of anise and floral oils. Shows brighter red fruits in the mouth, with a raspberry quality complicated by rose pastille qualities and intense spiciness. The finish is taut, chewy and extremely long." (10/11)

90 Pts Wine Enthusiast

"Bullish, oaky and ripe, with leathery black-fruit aromas touched up with plenty of smoke, coconut and toast. This feels full, juicy and aggressive, with a quick rush of black fruit flavors and even more oak tones of coconut and bitter chocolate. It finishes like espresso and burnt toast. Drink now through 2016. -M.S." (07/12)