"Having not seen the Valsacro wines for several years, it's nice to know that they are up to good things. This is a dark wine dominated by aromas of cassis liqueur and earth. It's lively and structured, with layers of toasted berry, chocolate and black pepper flavors. Shows a lot of shadings and trimmings, including creamy oak on the finish. Drink now and over the next two years. - Michael Schachner"
- Wine Enthusiast (August 1st 2010), 89 pts
"Valsacro's 2005 Crianza is a blend of 50% Tempranillo, 40% Garnacha, and 10% Mazuelo aged in French and American oak. Purple-colored, it has an enticing bouquet of cedar, tobacco, mineral, spice box, black cherry, and blackberry. This leads to a medium-bodied, elegant wine with some structure, savory fruit, a smooth texture, and excellent depth. It will evolve for another 1-2 years but can be enjoyed now through 2020."
- Wine Advocate (April 2010), 90 pts
"Fresh and vibrant, this red delivers juicy black cherry and crisp cranberry flavors, with leaf and espresso notes. Shows good depth, with balance and intensity. Drink now through 2015. 1,750 cases made. –TM"
- Wine Spectator (August 31st 2010), 90 pts
"This wine is a blend of 50% Tempranillo, 40% Garnacha, and 10% Mazuelo aged in French and American oak. Tasted over two nights the youthful nose revealed concentrated blueberries, soft spices, and undertones of vanilla. In the mouth the blue and black fruit is a touch lighter than on the nose. There is a smooth texture to this approachable and modern wine. There is a dark core which is a touch spicy with salivating acidity on the sides of the tongue and dark fruit in the finish. Now-2019."
- Hogshead wine blog (July 17th 2012),**(*)
"Bright violet color. Powerful, oak-accented aromas of cherry, cassis and vanilla, with a hint of cocoa emerging with air. Fleshy and sweet, offering broad dark fruit flavors complicated by clove and vanilla. Finishes sweet and long, with lingering spiciness and very good energy."
Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Sept 2012), 90 pts
- Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate (April 2015), 90 pts
"(all tempranillo): Bright purple. Heady, oak-spiced aromas of black and blue fruits, cigar box and cola, with a sexy floral nuance emerging with aeration. Seductively sweet and expansive, offering intense blueberry, cassis and vanilla bean flavors that deliver liqueur-like intensity and depth. Seamless in texture, with slow-building tannins adding shape to the clinging, smoky finish. In a distinctly modern style and awfully easy to drink now. - Josh Raynolds"
- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Sept/Oct 2014), 92 pts
