Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2003 was the year of the "canicule" in Europe, an extremely warm summer that made Germans acidify their Rieslings and saw Bordeaux with 40 degrees Celsius during Vinexpo. In that context, the 2003 Único showed surprisingly well. It's tannic, serious and austere, a little in the style of 2005. It's mainly Tempranillo with 8% of Cabernet Sauvignon and 14% alcohol with a warm nose and a softer palate, gentler compared with 2005.
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Wine Spectator
This red is generous and expressive, delivering dried cherry, tobacco, mineral and spice flavors in a rich, round texture, with a good balance of well-integrated tannins and racy acidity. More harmonious than assertive, but shows plenty of depth. Drink now through 2023.
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Wine Enthusiast
Hailing from the hottest vintage in years, this is round, rubbery and showing sweet, rooty aromas of root beer, cola, mocha and stewed plum. Dense but soft, it has rubbery, savory flavors of barbecue sauce, herbal plum, tomato and carob. An earthy, loamy, chunky finish offers tobacco and baking spice accents. Drink through 2020.
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.