Winemaker Notes
Celia Vizcarra is an estate-bottled wine made by Bodegas Vizcarra in the Ribera del Duero DO. This serious, structured red shows dense, complex aromas of wild herbs with red and black fruits. Super silky on the palate, this wine will reward patience. A decade of bottle aging or a minimum of two hours in a decanter before serving will help this wine show well. Next to the decanter, grilled rare or medium rare lamb chops are a perfect match, as well as grilled grass-fed beefsteak or pork tenderloin with rosemary.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The profile of the single vineyards is very similar, and the character from the different places is made quite homogeneous through high ripeness and too much oak. The 2021 Celia was produced in a similar way to the Inés, with fermentation in open-top 400-liter barrel and 2,000-liter concrete vats and matured in 400-liter French and American (10%) oak barrels and a further four to five months in a 2,000-liter oak vat. The result is marked by the very high ripeness, reflected by the 15.3% alcohol in the wine, and the generous oak that takes over the aromas and flavors. For fans of the style.
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.