Winemaker Notes
Intense purple color. On the nose, red fruit aromas together with subtle spicy nuances due to the barrel ageing arise. On the mouth, this wine is fresh and elegant in the beginning and long and voluminous in the end.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2022 Aalto from Ribera del Duero was aged in barrels of varying origin and age. Aromas of cedar, caramel and ripe fruit open the nose, followed by cherry, balsamic herbs and a hint of wildflowers and underbrush. The palate is broad and creamy, with oak defining the profile while moderate tannins reveal the fruit. A balanced, polished expression of modern Ribera.
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James Suckling
Ripe dark cherries and blackberries swathed into a dusty, woody background, with touches of licorice, vanilla and violet extract. Juicy and fine-grained on the palate with full body and a fine-boned tannins. Structured and long. Drink from 2025.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Aalto has a dark color and a very smoky nose with meaty notes (smoky bacon?), ripe dark berry fruit (a little too ripe for me this year) and abundant herbs and is quite spicy. This is the prototype Aalto, ripe (15% alcohol), powerful, concentrated and generously oaked but with stuffing and power and the balance to resolve the tannins and age for a long time in bottle. It has a marked profile that will not please those in search of a light and fresh red. This is a thoroughbred Ribera.
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Wine Spectator
A mouthwatering red, showing balsamico-infused acidity, with intensity and focus to the flavors of cassis, blackberry, baking spices, graphite, and wild rosemary and thyme. Its sinewy tannins are enmeshed in a silky texture that carries the aromatic profile on the lasting finish. Like a colt out of the gate; give this a little time in the cellar to hit its stride. Best from 2028 through 2038.
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.