Winemaker Notes
Grapes from centuries-old, pre-phylloxera Ribera del Duero vineyards grown in soils with additional features (sandstone and alluvium complemented with limestone at high altitudes) create the best qualities to achieve spectacular results.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Even if it felt like an unbottled sample, the 2012 Amaya Arzuaga, the haute-couture bottling of Tempranillo with some 5% Albillo from old and very low yielding vines, was clearly the best wine from the lineup I tasted. The full clusters fermented in 5,500-liter oak vats followed by malolactic and 19 months in 14 brand new French barriques. It's perfumed and heady, ripe without excess, and in an oaky style that seems to be the house signature. It felt riper and riper as it sat in the glass, which made me hesitate. The palate is full bodied, with abundant fine-grained tannins. It needs time.
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.