Tim Atkin is a Master of Wine. The MW title isn't a marketing award: it means years of study, exams and a dissertation. Atkin publishes detailed regional reports — Spain (the Rioja Special Report, among others), South Africa, and growing coverage of other regions. A 100-point scale, with a tasting style tied to terroir and vintage, not just the famous label.
At Vinogrande, Atkin appears mostly on Rioja and Rías Baixas product pages. Fewer internal tags than RP or JS; more report text attached to the tasting note. This article quotes only what the product page already says.
What an MW report does
An Atkin report isn't an app star rating. It covers producers, areas, grapes and vintages. The score sits within that map. That's why, on product pages, the number often comes with the phrase "in his Rioja Special Report" — the context matters as much as the 94.
Useful if you're buying for the cellar: the report helps you understand whether the year was hot, whether the plot is high up, whether a Reserva is a serious Reserva. Less useful if you just want a big number for Instagram.
The scale
A hundred points, in the Parker/Spectator family. 90–92 is serious wine; 93–95 is a report highlight; 96+ is the short top shelf. The shop doesn't convert Atkin into Grandes Escolhas or Peñín, even when the same product page has all three.
Why Vinogrande lists Atkin
Because customers who take Rioja seriously already read him. Because an MW brings method, not just dinner-table opinion. And because the 90+ curation of our wine shop in Moledo do Minho includes critics who work region by region — not just general magazines.
Four wines from the shop (real scores)
Baigorri Belus 2019 (Rioja). On the product page: Tim Atkin awarded 94 points in his Rioja Special Report. The page describes intense black fruit and the role of Mazuelo that Atkin values. Ninety-four, named report, 2019 vintage.
Baigorri Reserva 2018. On the product page: 92 points for Baigorri Reserva 2018 in his Rioja Special Report. The same page has 92 points from James Suckling. Atkin 92, Suckling 92 — two tastings, two names, no averaging.
Attis Xión Albariño 2024 (Rías Baixas). On the product page: Tim Atkin, Master of Wine, awarded 92 points, a "racy and crunchy" expression of the Val do Salnés. Alongside: Suckling 92, Guía Peñín 92. Three 92s, three sources.
Attis Embaixador 2021/2023. On the product page, for the 2021 vintage: Tim Atkin: 93 points. Same page: James Suckling 92 and Guía Peñín 94. Three different numbers, all with a publication. The shop doesn't pick the highest for the shop window: it leaves them all on the page.
How to read a score before you click "buy"
- Is it a regional report or a one-off score? The phrase "Special Report" is the context.
- Don't average it with Suckling or Peñín on the same page.
- Free shipping in mainland Portugal on orders over €80.
Shipping and shop notes
Free shipping in mainland Portugal on orders over €80. Secure payments. Below that threshold, shipping is calculated at checkout. Orders placed by 2pm on a working day ship the same day or the next working day. Wine is fragile: in extreme heat, dispatch may be delayed. Alcoholic drinks are sold only to over-18s.
Stock changes. The scores in this article were copied from the product pages on vinogrande.pt at the time of writing — not rounded, not invented. If the product page and this text differ, the product page applies.
— Vinogrande, Moledo do Minho. Buy wine online. 90+ points from renowned critics. Free shipping in mainland Portugal on orders over €80.
