Winemaker Notes
Pairs well with game, roasted lamb, stews and mature cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2011 Aalto is the cuvee produced with Tempranillo grapes from nine villages across Ribera del Duero, some in Valladolid and the majority in Burgos. It was fermented with indigenous yeasts and was aged for 20 months in 50% new barrels and 50% used ones. Most of the oak is from France, but 15% of the barriques are made of American wood. The wine shows the house style of ripe, exuberant and well-oaked reds, with some lactic hints and surprisingly, fresh red fruit intermixed with the aromas of riper, darker fruit and plenty of spicy oak, developing pine needle-like notes with time in the glass, and later, ripe peach. The palate is medium to full-bodied with abundant, fine-grained, slightly dusty tannins. It shows good balance and moderate acidity ending with some lactic flavors. 230,000 bottles produced. I tasted from half bottles (that is not ideal), which are not sold, only used for tastings. The wine evolves quickly once the bottle is opened, so I think this ripe vintage should be drunk in the shorter term.
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.