Winemaker Notes
It is a Utopian idea, born of Peter's passionate belief in organic and biodynamic farming as well as his gratitude to the region for giving a young Danish winemaker the opportunity to make arguably Spain's most coveted wine.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
The brightness and freshness to this are very enlightening. It’s mostly old-vine tempranillo with about 10% of garnacha. Medium body. Tight and linear with fine tannins. Firm and racy. Lots of bright cherries and berries. Always an excellent red with real character. Drink or hold.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The entry-level 2016 PSI was also tasted before it was bottled the last time I covered the Duero zone, so I had it again, this time in bottle and next to the also-bottled 2017 and a sample of the 2018. This really reminded me of the style of the old-time Ribera del Duero, classical, with some aromas of orange peel, wild herbs and berries. They used grapes from 22 villages from Ribera to showcase the style of this zone—wines with character, nicely integrated oak (they use old vines with some 10% to 12% Garnacha, and the wine matures in oak vats rather than barrique) and a gentle texture with the tannic structure of the zone. This is delicious and really represents the naked character of the place without oak. 300,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 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.