Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
When I tasted it, the 2016 Aalto had already been blended and taken out of the barrels, waiting to be bottled in a couple of weeks. It's still young and tender, with peachy aromas, a little creamy and with a soft palate where the tannins are fine-grained. In 2016, they used more vineyards, grapes from their own plots and others purchased from suppliers. 2016 was a higher-yielding year that provided fresh and balanced wines. It should age nicely.
Range: 93-95 -
Jeb Dunnuck
Not far off the more limited production cuvée, the 2016 Aalto is another brilliant wine from this estate and is all Tempranillo brought up in 50% new oak. This ripe, sexy wine delivers loads of crème de cassis, vanilla, dried flowers, and spice box notes, with just a hint of background oak. Pure, incredibly well balanced, with sweet tannins, and medium to full body, it’s going to benefit from a year or two in bottle and keep for 15 to 20 years.
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.