Winemaker Notes
Malleolus translates from Latin to majuelo, which is a local Pesquera del Duero term for a small vineyard. This wine is made from 100% Tinto Fino from small plots which range from 25-75 years of age. The wine undergoes alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel before being transferred to new Allier French oak barrels for malolactic fermentation and 18 months of aging.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Malleolus is a generous old-vine Tempranillo fermented with yeasts they have selected and aged in French oak barrels for 18 months, showcasing the ripe and deftly oaked style of the house. There is more freshness and better balance here compared with 2015; it's juicy, a little chewy and with fine-grained, abundant tannins. There is contained ripeness and moderate acidity. As with many of the wines here, I felt it could do with a little more acidity.
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Wine Spectator
This dense red is rich yet focused. Black cherry, plum and boysenberry flavors mingle with cocoa, clove and mineral notes, supported by muscular, well-integrated tannins and balanced by fresh acidity. Not showy, but harmonious. Drink now through 2031.
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Wine Enthusiast
Charred oak speaks loudest on a nose that fluctuates between clean and fruity and pointed and staunch. A choppy palate relaxes with airing, while this tastes of oaky berry fruits. On the finish, this reverts to woody, hard and tannic. Revisit this between 2022 and 2024 and it should be calmer and nicer to drink.
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.