Winemaker Notes
Blend: 93% Tempranillo, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Racy red and black-fruit nose, full of plums and berries. Some iron, roasted spices and wet stones, too. A lucid, succulent and energetic delivery of Ribera del Duero with lots of juicy fruit and quite precise, dusty tannins. Firm, but caressing, with a mineral finish. 86% tempranillo, 10% cabernet sauvignon and 4% merlot. From organically grown grapes.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Finca Villacreces feels young and tender, a bit open, perhaps because it was recently bottled, and more marked by the élevage than the 2018 I tasted next to it. It's a blend of 93% Tempranillo and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon—lower in Cabernet and without Merlot—and it matured for 12 months in 225- and 500-liter oak barrels, 50% of them new. 2019 was a riper year, and the wine shows it even if the grapes were picked early. It's juicy and round, with a soft mouthfeel and glossy tannins.
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.