Winemaker Notes
This wine was made from truly top-quality grapes of excellent ripeness, which is demonstrated from the beginning to the end of the tasting. The wine displays an intense colour with a bluish rim and a cherry-red core. Attractive, perfectly integrated fruit aromas come to the fore with power and concentration.
"The Moro family has been fashioning wines from Ribera del Duero for over 120 years. This impressive offering emerges from relatively young vines (12-20 years of age), and modest yields. The vinification and upbringing is classical, with 25 days of maceration, and 12 months of aging in a combination of old and new French and American oak. One-thousand cases of this vintage has been exported to the United States. Given the quality, this is an realistically priced wine that merits considerable attention. The 1999 Moro, which reveals the vintage's super-ripeness, is a sexy, full-bodied, opulently-styled effort bursting with black fruits, licorice, smoky, toasty oak, and truffle notes. Lush and dense, it is an ideal candidate for drinking over the next 10-12 years."
-Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate
Professional Ratings
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.