Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2006 Comenge is 100% Tempranillo aged sur lie for 13 months in French and American oak. Deep purple in color, it offers up a nose of earthy minerality, underbrush, spice box, violets, and blackberry. On the palate it displays some elegance, plenty of spicy fruit, good balance, and a medium-long fruit-filled finish. It can be enjoyed over the next 5-7 years.
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Wine Enthusiast
Bold and chunky Ribera wine with black fruit aromas that don’t tread lightly. The palate is lush and features a nice overall feel, while the flavors of berry fruit and chocolate hint at raisin but don’t fully cross the threshhold. Heavier and darker than prior years. Drink now.
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.