Winemaker Notes
Dark red in color. It has a clean and attractive nose, with aromas of red fruits like redcurrant, raspberry and cherry. There are also mild herbal and menthol notes, as well as a subtle creaminess. On the palate it is smooth, refreshing and pleasant, with high quality tannins, both fine and mature: they are perfectly integrated, ensuring a long, aromatic finish.
Blend: 64% Tempranillo, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Syrah, 6% Merlot, 1% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Profound and intense nose with some tapenade, black beans and cocoa powder that gives depth to the already deep blackberries. Hints of dark spices and cigar box, too. Plenty of palpable tannins evenly melt into full-bodied palate with juicy dark fruit. Brooding and long finish. Cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot and petit verdot.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Selección Especial, cropped from a warm and dry year, is composed of 64% Tempranillo, 15% Cabernet sauvignon, 14% Syrah, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot and has 14.5% alcohol, coming through as riper than the 2020 I tasted next to it. It's also darker, round and powerful, with plenty of tannins, wide and concentrated. This is from a warm year, with lower yields, and it's a very powerful wine, balsamic with notes of aromatic herbs, a little more Mediterranean. 369,610 bottles produced and bottled in 27 lots after one year in barrel.
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Vinous
The 2019 Selección Especial is a blend of 69% Tempranillo, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah, 4% Merlot, 2% Graciano and 1% Petit Verdot from Abadía Retuerta in Castilla y León and was aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels. Garnet-red with a purple sheen. Cedar complements plum, camphor and spice aromas on the nose. Dry and fairly fruity, the finely-grained tannins support a mild, polished mouthfeel. The 2019 is a cosmopolitan red.
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Decanter
Black fruit compote, red fruit, wood spice and spicy nose. The palate is full-bodied and muscular with a firm structure. Good ageing potential.
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Wine Spectator
A rich range of ripe black and red currant, toast, ground coffee, licorice and vanilla notes are well-meshed with lively acidity and supple tannins in this red, which has a dusty feel. A balanced version, showing generosity and accessibility. Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Garnacha. Drink now through 2029. 20,000 cases made, 2,500 cases imported.
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.