Winemaker Notes
Blend: 86% Tempranillo, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Merlot
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
Pure in its expression of place, Villacreces is a selection from low-yielding vines among the 160 acres that the winery tends in Quintanilla de Onésimo. Ripe red fruit scents dominate this wine, along with aromas of anise and spice. The oak is well integrated, perceptible in the smooth texture yet not imparting any overt wood flavors. The fruit has such depth that it invites a second glass, while also suggesting a long life ahead.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2009 Finca Villacreces also mixes 86% Tempranillo, 10% Cabernet and 4% Merlot and shows a little bit riper and more concentrated than the 2010, very powerful, with plenty of extract and abundant tannins that coat your mouth. It has lactic touches and flavors of ripe black fruit, but the finish is slightly drying and bitter. Enjoy with winter dishes. Drink now-2018.
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.