These examples are clearly too young.
Great article! I totally agree with you, Ribera has the potential to make wines with harmony and elegance, and we are moving towards that. I guess Ribera del Duero is looking more towards Rioja and less towards Napa, and looking more to the 80´s when still a few wineries were making grandes reservas with the idea of aging the wines.
Excellent article, thank you. It is fascinating to see how different the tempranillo grape can be in varied wine-making regions of Spain. While we cannot generally afford the higher end wines (+$15.... I know that locks out alot of deliciousness) we have been able to purchase the Torremoron Ribera del Duero for several years at our local Cambridge, MA wineshop and have always enjoyed it. Perhaps not one of the huger or most velvety examples of Ribera del Duero wines but it is delicious and a super value. This is a region that has much to offer red wine lovers.
About 25 years ago a friend who had just come back from Spain came to our Austin apt for a drink. I put out some Manchego cheese and crackers and he brought a Spanish wine. I didn’t pay much attention to its name - but enjoyed it so much that after thanking Bob for his contribution and saying good-bye I rinsed it out and saved the bottle. Turns out it was a $100 plus Vega Sicilia Ribera del Duero! Bob was a creative writing professor who retired early and traveled everywhere on a shoestring. He said nothing to indicate how special this wine was, What a friend!
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Astrales is well within the bounds of what Eric Asimov describes as less extracted and more balanced Riberas. I´m sitting on a few bottles from 2014 and 2015, along with a few bottles from Emilio Moro. Maybe next year.
Sadly, I could not find a single one of these wines available at any of the wine shops I patronize here in Minnesota. I did find a nice selection of Ribera del Duero wines (at Total Wines, no less). I may go ahead and buy them and conduct a tasting with friends sometime this winter.
It seems to me that all the wines described were tasted too young. These wines are big and deserve more bottle age if they can be stored well. I had the Moro 2010 in October and it was stunning. I’m a fan of Aalto and let them go long as well.
Thanks.
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@Fred Peebles
I'm sure they were tasting from vintages one can purchase in retail shops now; of course, the tasters are experienced and know how to compensate for lack of age. That said, it would have been nice for them to suggest the time spans when each of the wines might reach their peaks.
Bravo! How about another northern DO - Castilla & Leon wines? This was great - thanks!
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@ Jose A. Vermont
I am full of admiration of the readers and author who know not only how to dig geographically obscure wines, but also to enjoy drinking them.
@Jose A. Couldn´t agree more. El Bierzo might be a good place to start.
Happy to see my friends, and supplier partners, take the top two spots in your tasting. Both are hardworking, dedicated family wineries, and it's wonderful to see their passion rewarded with praise here.
Readers might be interested to know about a new clarete wine just debuted by Finca Torremilanos: 2017 Ojo Gallo. The 2017 vintage ravaged the estate with frost, so they were unable to dedicate any fruit to their popular rosado that year. Instead, they reserved a small amount of tempranillo and co-fermented it with albillo, and the results were great. Tasted in October when their young proprietor, Vicente Peñalba, visited our headquarters at Skurnik Wines. Now in the market, it's worth seeking out and, like all their wines, is very fairly priced.
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I was hoping for Bodega Valderiz wines in the mix.
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