Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
orgeous aromas of toasty oak, wood smoke, minerals and layered black fruits feed into a concentrated, thick palate that demands a knife and fork for dissection. Flavors of toast, vanilla bean, woodspice, bacon, mint and blackberry are lush. Give this beauty another couple of years, then drink through 2022.
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Wine Spectator
A polished texture conceals impressive depth in this harmonious red. The plum, cassis, licorice and mineral flavors are supported by well-integrated tannins and glide through the spicy finish. Not showy, but focused and long. Drink now through 2030.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2010 Malleolus de Valderramiro is a single-vineyard Tempranillo from a 0.84-hectare plot of Tempranillo in Pesquera de Duero, which produces tannic wines with marked acidity on clay rich soils. With their single-vineyards they wanted to show the expression of Tempranillo (90-year-old vineyard). Here the malolactic fermentation is carried out in American oak barrels, as they find it’s better suited with the earthy, slightly rustic and rounder character produced by the clay soils. This is rounder than the Sanchomartin, with more lactic aromas and flavors, rich and plump, ripe but balanced, with the concentration and seriousness of old vines, with great stuffing. With time it develops stronger lactic aromas and notes of smoky bacon that makes it the most approachable and commercial-oriented of their top cuvees.
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Wine & Spirits
Still too young to fully grasp, this is dominated by toasty oak aromas. But behind the wood, you can just as clearly feel the pulse of fresh red fruit flavors. The wine is intense, ripe and fiery in its youth, best left alone for at least two years. Valderramiro is a selection from old vines on clay soils, delivering a wine with volume and amplitude in its structure.
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.