The modern and generously oaked 2016 Aurus is a blend of 85% Tempranillo and 15% Graciano, and I often wonder if that blend is what makes it less monolithic than the others. It's a ripe and powerful red with 14% alcohol and a pH of 3.6 that matured in brand-new French oak barrels for 24 months. It finishes dry and with flavors from the élevage and still noticeable tannins that need resolving. No wonder the wine is oaky and is going to need almost a decade to digest that wood, but it's classically proportioned and has the fruit and structure to age. 4,800 bottles were filled in December 2019.

I love the seriousness, restraint and balance of the 2015 Aurus, where all the components—varieties, acidity and alcohol—feel in good synchrony. The oak is nicely integrated, leaving a thin patina of fine spices and toast but with a core that reveals violets, red and black fruit and aromatic herbs. 2015 was a year of powerful reds with abundant tannins, and the challenge was to control the power, which is nicely resolved here and the wine feels very balanced and harmonious. The proportion of varieties is 85% Tempranillo with 15% Graciano. The wine is ripe without excess and shows power and elegance. This should age into a very classical Rioja with time in bottle. 4,800 bottles produced. It was bottled in December 2017.

Once again, the 2014 Aurus is my favorite among the reds in the portfolio. It has a harmonious nose that mixes notes of milk chocolate, wild berries, flowers and sweet spices. The palate of this modern and generously oaked blend of Tempranillo with 15% Graciano is nicely balanced, and the tannins are fine and coated by juicy fruit. It has a thread of acidity going through its core that lifts the wine up. While not the best vintage of Aurus, it's a noteworthy effort for a difficult year like 2014. 6,000 bottles were filled in September 2016 after 24 months in new French oak barrels.

The 2013 Aurus is always a blend of blend Tempranillo with 15% Graciano with grapes sourced from old vineyards in the village of Briones. The uncrushed grapes fermented in an oak vat after a six-day cold soak for 16 days, with three daily pump-overs. Malolactic was in French barriques; the élevage lasted two years and was in new French barriques, with rackings every four months. 2013 was a challenging vintage, where they had to sort, and production was shorter because they discarded up to 40% of the grapes. That seems to have paid back, and the wine shows a seriously fresh profile, with dominant aromas of red berries and flowers and sweet spices in the background. It's quite classical, generously oaked, clean and expressive. The palate reveals very good balance, fine tannins, good freshness and tasty flavors with great length. It should develop nicely in bottle. It feels like a very good vintage for Aurus. 4,000 bottles were filled in May 2016.

The blend that represents the perfect balance for Miguel Angel de Gregorio is Tempranillo with 15% Graciano, which was what he used for his 2012 Aurus, with grapes sourced from a diversity of vineyards in the village of Briones. The destemmed, uncrushed grapes were fermented in an oak vat after a six-day cold soak. Malolactic was in brand new French barriques were the wine matured for two years with rackings every four months. I feel much better balance and contained ripeness compared with the 2011. However, as it also happened with the previous vintage, I also favor Calvario over Aurus in 2012. The fruit is black, with notes of licorice, ink and graphite, most of the aromas come from the darker side of the spectrum with more noticeable oak than in Calvario. The palate feels ripe and lush, with some dusty tannins and a chalky finish. The oak is nicely integrated, which for me talks about the quality of the grapes, because not many grapes can take two years in new oak. It ends with a long, slightly warm finish. 6,000 bottles were filled in January 2015.