Winemaker Notes
Bluish-red with garnet rim. An intense, bright wine. A wine of great aromatic complexity, with outstanding notes of ripe fruit, ink, and mineral essences, typical of the Tinta Fina variety. Round in the mouth, with tasty, well-integrated tannins and a long and pleasant aftertaste with noticeable ripe red fruit.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Fresh mulberries, violets, dried herbs, bark, vanilla and baking spices on the nose. A full-bodied red with tightly wound tannins. Firm and chewy with a dark character to the palate and quite a juicy, compact finish.
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Wine Spectator
A juicy red, with chalky tannins, showing hints of vanilla, licorice and toast, which add flash and flair to coulised fruit flavors of boysenberry and blackberry. Medium- to full-bodied and balanced, with a subtle finish that showcases wild herbs and spices.
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.