Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The dark ruby-colored 2008 Tinto Pesquera exhibits an inviting nose of cedar, spice box, mineral, violets, and blackberry. This is followed by a ripe, racy, nicely proportioned style of Tempranillo with excellent concentration and length. Give it 2-3 years to fully blossom and drink it from 2013 to 2023.
Bodegas Alejandro Fernandez keeps rolling along turning out a surprisingly large amount of wine from Ribera del Duero, all of it produced from Tempranillo, while maintaining a high level of quality. In 1999 Alejandro Fernandez discovered a parcel of old, head-pruned Tempranillo in the historic windmill village of Campo de Criptana in La Mancha. Not generally considered a source of high quality grapes because of extreme summer heat, Fernandez has demonstrated that careful farming can overcome serious obstacles. The grapes for these two wines were harvested in the first two weeks of August, as hard as that is to believe once you have tasted the results.
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.
