Winemaker Notes
Complex aromas of truffles, earth and spices. The wine shows black fruits, more spices and tar finishing long and rich.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2011 Vina Sastre Pago de Santa Cruz has good fruit and even though, I find a lot of oak in both nose and palate (17 months in 100% new oak is not a joke), it seems to have the stuffing to come into balance with time in bottle. It’s a powerful, concentrated and slightly alcoholic wine. Drink 2015-2019.
This family winery was created in 1992 around their 30 hectares of vineyards and has grown to 70 hectares of vineyards today. They produce archetypal, powerful, highly extractive and heavily oaked reds.
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Wine Spectator
Blackberry, kirsch, cola and licorice flavors pop in this expressive modern red. Firm tannins support the polished texture. The finish is clean and fresh. Drink now 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.