Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2010 Malleolus de Sanchomartin is from a single plot of over 50-year-old vines in Pesquera de Duero on chalk soils that provide for vertical, long and mineral wines. The wine went through malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels, as they believe they are better suited for the elegance of the juice produced from the chalky soils. The wine is powerful and concentrated, but overall, extremely elegant and balanced and with clear chalky minerality that sticks to your teeth. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a fine, silky texture, very good acidity and freshness. This could be drunk now, but I believe it will be even better in a couple of years. Drink 2016-2025.
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Wine Spectator
A rich, creamy texture carries expressive flavors of black cherry, cassis, toast, licorice and mineral in this polished red. Shows great depth and intensity, yet remains graceful and harmonious, with a lovely floral finish. Drink now through 2025.
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Wine Enthusiast
Graphite, maple and other oaky aromas dominate this lush, pitch-black Tinto Fino. A chewy, dense mouthfeel is rich as an oil baron, while oak-driven flavors of vanilla and baking spices accent blackberry and cassis. On the finish, this is monster-sized and full of blue-fruit deliciousness. Drink through 2020. Cellar Selection
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Wine & Spirits
From a 2.5-acre vineyard planted in 1964 with Tempranillo cuttings from Valderramiro, the historic vineyard of the Moro family, this needs time to get past the thick curtain of oak flavors. Behind it, there's a dense, ripe, unctuous core of black fruit, its flavors lasting minutes on the palate. An excellent example of a rich, powerful Ribera del Duero style, it deserves five or more years in the cellar and an aged Manchego cheese.
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.