R. Parker (98/100)
The 2023 Las Iruelas was marked by a hailstorm in April. It has a paler color (like 2012 and 2017) and a more fragile profile. It comes in at 14% alcohol, a full 1% less than the 2022, and it has very good freshness and reflects the cooler year, with herbal green chili pepper, capers, pine needles, a sensation of Mediterranean forest floor, dry yellow flowers and a core of decayed flowers, with hints of wild strawberries and a peppery twist. It's super fine-boned and mineral and has lots of finesse, with chalky, powdery tannins and a supple, almost salty finish. It's very complete, a notch above Las Umbrías, with finesse and an ethereal character but with lots of energy and oomph. Together with Rumbo al Norte, it's the more homogenous vineyard, showing less differences in quality from year to year.