Winemaker Notes
#81 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2025
Cherry-red color. An elegant, complex, and suggestive wine. Prominent aromas of well-ripened black and red fruits. Aromatic complexity with subtle notes of vanilla, coconut, spices, cedar, and fine toasts from the French oak barrels. Velvety and flavorful on the palate. After aging in concrete eggs, it retains freshness while enhancing the volume of the fruit, offering a silky texture.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2021 Carroa is 100% Tinto Fino from the Burgos side of Ribera del Duero, made from heritage vine selections. It was aged 16 months in French oak barrels, eight months in 12,500-liter French oak vats and finished in 1,900-liter concrete eggs. Garnet in color, it opens with red fruit, balsamic tones and a hint of camphor, layered with blackberry, graphite and tomato leaf. The texture is fine, with delicate tannins and a juicy mid-palate. The finish hints at chalk. Long and complex. A fresh take on Ribera with finesse and charm.
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Decanter
Deep plum and blackberry fruit with a fragrant backdrop of tobacco leaves, dried violets, thyme and tarragon. Dark chocolate creates an intense, broody background, held by a beautiful tannic framework. Long tail of salty liquorice, coffee bean, prune and dried fig. Still has a lot of potential to develop.
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James Suckling
Good depth, with aromas of meat, spices, blackberries and cocoa powder. Full-bodied, structured and tightly wound, with powerful, chalky tannins and a long, firm but polished finish. A very good Ribera del Duero that’s not just oaky and powerful, but also shows some restraint and precision. Drink from 2026.
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Wine Spectator
A stylish, fluid red, with a dense core of fine-grained tannins enmeshed in a silky texture. Offers a pure beam of juicy cassis, plus enticing accents of anise hyssop, mountain herbs, mocha and toasted cumin. Long and detailed on the creamy finish. Drink now through 2040. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.
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Wine Enthusiast
Vibrant dark earth and fruit combine with a backbone of sweet oak, creating intriguing aromatics from the start. While this is very much about decadence—with every element seemingly happening at once—there is an underlying sleekness holding it all together.
The history of Protos dates back to 1927, when 11 viticulturists established the “Ribera del Duero” winery, with an avantgarde vision of preparing quality wines under one brand. Over ninety years later, this spirit still lives on and continues growing year upon year. At Protos, we take pride in our roots, using only our native varieties, Tempranillo and Verdejo, and in 1982, allowing our brand “Ribera del Duero” to be used for the recently established Ribera del Duero Denomination of Origin.
Genuine commitment to quality, controlled vineyards, limited yields, manual harvest, barrel aging and a rigorous control of the entire elaboration process, give our wines global prestige.
This commitment to quality is demonstrated through the brand’s ongoing reinvestment in research and betterment of their vineyards & wineries. This eagerness to keep evolving and adapting the wines with the outmost respect to the land, have ensured Protos as one of the most well-known and reliable brands by consumers the world over.
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.