Winemaker Notes
#19 of Wine Enthusiast's Top 100 of 2017
The grapes come from the Juegabolos (Bowls Players) terroir planted by Tomás Esteban in 1988. The unique character of this terroir is that the top 1.5 metres of soil is gravel. This creates perfect conditions for ripening in a very healthy environment. Lower down in the soil profile there is clay which provides the vines with all the nutrients and water that they need. The production is 4,000 kg per hectare. It is totally free of artificial fertilisers and systematic chemical treatments.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Toasty aromas suggest maple, along with a note of sawdust to accompany earthy berry scents. A rich, pure palate is intense but shows balance and comportment. Blackberry, cassis, peppery spice and integrated oak flavors are detailed, with a smooth finish. Drink this full-bodied wonder through 2028.
-
James Suckling
Ample fruit, enough structure and impressive concentration. Dark plums and cherries pervade the nose and palate amid more savory graphite and coal smoke. Bold and delicious.
-
Wine Spectator
This bold red delivers sweet fruit flavors of black raspberry and cassis, backed by vanilla and toasty oak hints and accented with floral and mineral notes. Round and plush, this is supported by firm tannins and juicy acidity.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Juegabolos was also quite ripe and had some exuberant aromas that felt a little artificial, coupled with an intense impact from its two years in barrique. It also fermented in oak vats, which perhaps amplifies the creaminess and spicy oak sensations. It feels unashamedly modern in a way that seems to diminish its typicity. I had mixed feelings about it.
Rating: 92(?)
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.