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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Jeb Dunnuck
The 2022 Celia Vizcarra is named for the next-generation winemaker and daughter of Juan Carlos Vizcarra and is made from a low-yielding Tempranillo-dominant field blend her grandfather planted in 1948 with three types of soil of area, comprised of 7% Garnacha. Concrete and barrel-fermented, it is impressively textured, perfumed, and more elegant than the winery’s Torralvo, with still-tight, grippy tannins that elongate on the palate. Full-bodied, it has a lovely floral perfume that lingers throughout a finishing touch of oak spice, aged predominantly in larger-format French barrels. It should be prime to drink 2032-2042.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2022 Celia, which comes in a Bordeaux bottle, has a more serious and austere profile than the more voluptuous and showier Inés from this same vintage that is presented in a Burgundy bottle. It's sourced from vineyards with mostly Tempranillo but also 7% Garnacha, which seems to give it an elegant touch. It doesn't lack ripeness, coming in at 15% alcohol, but feels balanced, and the oak is neatly integrated—it spent 16 months in 400-liter barrels and a further three months in 2,000-liter foudre. This is serious and with aging potential.
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.