Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The bottled 2022 Flor de Pingus has purity and is open, expressive and pretty. There's probably 3% Garnacha here, and the aim is to achieve perhaps 5% with the new plantings. Garnacha in the same soils, rootstock and everything always has a lower pH than Tempranillo. Garnacha also has less tannin, so it helps to soften the tannic sensation from Tempranillo. It matured in French oak barrels, 20% of them new, because he believes the new vines benefit from the new barrels; this also allows the barrels to get ready for the next vintage of Pingus. This is clean and aromatic, with a balanced and tender palate; it's juicy and fine-boned, with very fine, elegant tannins and some grip. It's a very pretty version of Flor.
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Wine Spectator
This sleek red offers a creamy profile of crushed mulberry and blackberry fruit, wild thyme and rosemary, violet, mineral and anise accents. It's well-cut, integrating a frame of fresh acidity and sculpted tannins, and shows fine length and focus through fragrant finish.
Notoriously food-friendly, long-lasting and Spain’s most widely planted grape, Tempranillo is the star variety of red wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero. The Rioja terms Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva indicate both barrel and bottle time before release. Traditionally blended in Rioja with Garnacha, plus a bit of Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano, the Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero typically stands alone. Somm Secret—Tempranillo claims many different names depending on location. In Penedès, it is called Ull de Llebre and in Valdepeñas, goes by Cencibel. Known as Tinta Roriz in Portugal, Tempranillo plays an important role in Port wine.
Ribera del Duero, Spanish wine region, is located in northen Spain’s Castilla y León region, just a 2-hour drive from Madrid. While winemaking in this area goes back more than 2000 years, it was in the 1980s that 9 wineries applied for and were granted Denominación de Origen (D.O.) status. Today, more than 300 wineries call Ribera del Duero home, including some of Spain’s most iconic names.
Notable Facts Ribera’s main grape variety, Tempranillo, locally know as Tinto Fino, is perfectly suited to the extreme climate of the region, where it must survive scorching summers and frigid winters. Low yields resulting from conscientious tending to old vines planted in Ribera’s diverse soils types, give Ribera wines a distinctive depth and complexity not found in other Tempranillos. Rich and full-bodied, the spice, dark fruit and smoky flavors in a bold Ribera del Duero will pair well with roasted and grilled meats, Mexican food and tomato-based sauces.