Winemaker Notes
In its visual phase it has an intense cherry red color with a very dense layer. On the nose, the intense aromas of Tempranillo are perceived, perfectly assembled with its aging in the best wood. The mouth is a faithful reflection of the sensations of the nose, providing elegance and complexity. It is a wine with body, a structured and round tannin with a long and persistent aftertaste.
The very long and silky finish of Malleolus de Sanchomartin combines perfectly with red meats, roasts, and game meat.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
This vineyard has been grafted with clones from the oldest vineyards. While it is more tannic and has more acidity than the other Emilio Moro single-vineyard wine, Malleolus de Valderramiro, it is also more fragrant and refined. Fermented and aged in French oak, which results in an altogether elegant approach to this style of Ribera del Duero. Drinking Window 2021 - 2030.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The generously oaked single-vineyard Tempranillo 2016 Malleolus de Sancho Martín is perfumed underneath the oak and has power but also elegance and freshness. It's more elegant and balanced than the Valderramiro, more aromatic, complex and nuanced. It's full-bodied and reveals abundant, fine-grained, chalky tannins. Very good in its style.
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Wine Spectator
A rich, robust red, with racy streaks of orange peel acidity and iron-laced minerality buoying concentrated flavors of kirsch and dried raspberry as well as an aromatic beam of spice box, dried mint, licorice and toasty smoke. Its expressive character is well-meshed with a powerful frame of dense tannins. This will show best if decanted now or aged in the short term.
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.