Winemaker Notes
Black cherry colour. This is an aromatic wine with a wide variety of aromas of herbs, such as lavender, rosemary and camomile, combined with ripe red and black forest fruit and slight hints of coffee and spices. It has a smooth and aromatic mid-palate accompanied by a tannin with a fine granular texture. Good acidity and balance.
Professional Ratings
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
It surely is a matter of taste, but this time I found the 2014 La Mala to be a little more rustic next to its siblings from the same vintage, with slightly dusty tannins, and even if analytically it has lower alcohol and higher acidity, it felt like the fruit was riper and darker. But they all have some common characteristics—subtly perfumed and floral and with judicious oak—after 18 months in second use French barriques, which represents a change from previous vintages, when the amount of new oak had been gradually reduced but some barrels were still new.
Rating: 93+
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.