Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Malleolus is sourced from 25- to 75-year-old vines aged for 18 months in new French oak. It has a rather predictable nose with that veneer of glossy, vanilla-tinged oak and yet you cannot deny that it is well-defined and maintains good freshness, with the fruit suggesting it will meld together with time. The palate is ripe and voluptuous with sensual black cherries, blueberry and layers of creamy oak on the finish. Although it needs to develop more individuality through its bottle evolution, it is undeniably very well-crafted and will please those who love opulent Ribera del Duero wines.
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Wine Enthusiast
As usual, Malleolus hits with a ton of oak, ripeness and hickory. The palate is thick, tannic and bullish, while oaky flavors of bacon, blackberry, vanilla and butter finish toasty and heady. This is a distinct wine; it’s defined by ripe fruit, hard tannins and plenty of wood.
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Wine Spectator
Bright cherry, fresh herb and vanilla flavors mingle in this solid red, with accents of cola and earth. Features firm tannins, lively acidity and good balance. Should flower with 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.