Winemaker Notes
Intense, mature nose with mineral aromas that give way to black fruit, such as blackberry and blackcurrant. Hints of licorice, redcurrant and cherries in liqueur on a backdrop of dark chocolate and subtle hints of a well-structured wood. Elegant in the mouth, well-balanced, voluptuous and silky, polished tannins with a wellbalanced acidity, long and lasting.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The entry-level red and largest volume of Abadía Retuerta, the 2012 Selección Especial, is nothing like the initial oaky versions of it you might remember. This is produced as a blend of Tempranillo with 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Syrah from the 54 separate plots that they have identified in their 180 hectares of vineyards. This 2012 matured in French (60%) and American (40%) oak barrels for 14 months, a slightly shorter time than in previous vintages. The casks were one third new, one third second use and one third third use. This is the wine that has improved the most, and it's now a fine, elegant wine with restrained power, true to the place where it's born and the vintage when the grapes are harvested. This is the highly recommended wine from the winery. All grapes ripened properly in 2012 and the Cabernet feels very integrated; there are some spicy aromas intermixed with the wild berry aromas, developing some balsamic undertones, licorice and a little bit of toast. It is very subtle and nicely compact. The texture is very fine with dusty tannins, good acidity and freshness. It is long, balanced and supple, with power and elegance. The wine is approachable now and with stuffing to age. It is a great value and highly recommended.
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Wine Spectator
A polished texture carries harmonious flavors of black cherry, cola, licorice and mineral in this focused red. Well-integrated tannins and balsamic acidity lend this a balanced structure. Reserved but deep. Drink now through 2022.
The rebirth of a historic vineyard and of a whole winemaking tradition, the excellence of which remains intact, laid the foundations for today’s Abadía Retuerta winery. It now has over 30 years of history, as expert hands manage the vineyard by carefully looking after it and creating unique wines with their own Protected Designation of Origin.
Abadía Retuerta is a unique place where time stands still and feelings run high. Here, the past lives on in the present, and centuries of tradition and culture remain intact. It sits within an enclave bathed by the river Duero, which defines the traits of the surrounding terroir. Experts with great patience, know-how and anticipation really get the best out of the terrain: they respect the natural cycles and help the vines adapt to the austere climate of the region, in order to produce one of the estate’s most prized assets: its first-rate wine.
Spanish red wine is known for being bold, heady, rustic and age-worthy, Spain is truly a one-of-a-kind wine-producing nation. A great majority of the country is hot, arid and drought-ridden, and since irrigation has only been recently introduced and (controversially) accepted, viticulture has sustained—and flourished—only through a great understanding of Spain’s particular conditions. Large spacing between vines allows each enough resources to survive and as a result, the country has the most acreage under vine compared to any other country, but is usually third in production.
Of the Spanish red wines, the most planted and respected grape variety is Tempranillo, the star of Spain’s Rioja and Ribera del Duero regions. Priorat specializes in bold red blends, Jumilla has gained global recognition for its single varietal Monastrell and Utiel-Requena has garnered recent attention for its reds made of Bobal.