Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The opaque purple 2006 Aalto offers up a brooding bouquet of wood smoke, graphite, espresso, leather, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. This leads to a full-bodied, dense, layered, extracted wine with loads of fruit and the structure to match. Impeccably balanced and exceptionally long in the finish, this large-scaled effort will benefit from 5-7 years of additional cellaring and provide a drinking window extending from 2016 to 2036. Bodegas y Vinedos Aalto is the estate of the renowned Mariano Garcia, former winemaker at Vega Sicilia.
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Wine Spectator
This juicy red is packed with blackberry, boysenberry and plum flavors. Licorice, chocolate and tobacco notes add interest. This is thick, with full tannins, but stays plush and lively through the finish. Drink now through 2016. 500 cases imported.
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Wine & Spirits
Presented in a clean, modern style, this wine's sweet black fruit flavors combine with the toasty notes of oak. It's ample and slightly liqueur-like in the finish, with a pleasing warmth that doesn't grow tiring.
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.