Tasting #245 September 27, 2022 Ribera del Duero, Spain

Tasting Overview

The purpose of this tasting is to explore the wines from the Ribera del Duero Region in Spain. This is one of the best wine regions in Spain and could very well be among the most renowned Dos in the country, but in fact, it is one of the de least known. The Tempranillo wine is the main product.

We will taste one white Albariño and three 100% Tempranillo reds and have the opportunity to compare wines from different wineries.

Type of tasting: Open

Presenter: Marcello Averbug

The wines:

1. La Caña Albarino Blanco 2021 – 13% alcohol.
2. Condado de Haza Crianza 2019, 100% Tempranillo -14,5% alcohol.
3. Pico Cuadro 2016, 100% Tempranillo – 14,5% alcohol.
4. Malleolus Emilio Moro 2017, 100% Tempranillo – 14,5% alcohol.

The menu:

Squid
Eggplant a la pizzaiola
Minestrone soup
Escalope al Marsala

Participants:

Marcello Averbug, Jose Brakarz, Jorge Claro, Ruth Connolly, Agilson Perazza, Claudia Perazza, Lucía Redwood, Jairo Sánchez, Ricardo Santiago, Érico Silva

The Ribera del Duero Wine Region

The Duero River Valley houses wine-producing areas such as Ribera del Duero, Toro, and Rueda.

The Ribera del Duero is one of the best wine regions in Spain. It would deserve to be among the most recognizable “denominaciones de origen” in the country. Rioja may be the most famous region in Spain, but Ribera del Duero is no slouch.

The region is isolated by the mountains that protect it from any maritime influence. It comprises 2.000 hectares of vinyards in the provinces of Burgos, Segovia, Soria and Valladolid. The local climate is ideal for Tempranillo, known locally as Tinta del Pais, IT which is the most prestigious wine in Ribera del Duero. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are increasingly used in modern red blends.

The popularity of the local wines slipped drastically in the 1970s. Extremely long barrel aging and old winemaking practices made the wines extremely inconsistent. With modern winemaking practices and attention to detail, these wines are now becoming as consistently remarkable as they should be.

In recent decades, the Ribera del Duero has become a magnet for skilled winemakers from around the world. Hot, dry days and cool nights here can produce concentrated and lively red wines. Its 250+ wineries look for their own differentiated wines, expressing all the nuances of the terroir and variety of the Tempranillo grape.

Some facts about Ribera del Duero:

 archaeological presence of wine dating 2500 years ago;
 in 17 th and 18 th centuries, wines from the region were exported;
 99% of wines produced are red wines;
 Ribera del Duero wines are known for being strong, dark-colored wines filled with dark
fruit, tobacco, and vanilla;
 There is not one, but many Templanillo “types” from la Ribera del Duero.

The Wines

1. LA CAÑA Blanco, 2021

La Caña is a white wine that Jorge Ordonez and his winemaking team
craft to demonstrate the potential that Albariño shows as a serious,
high-quality wine. He was the first person to export this variety.
La Caña demonstrates the complexity, intensity, and longevity Albariño can achieve when sourced from old vineyards and using good winemaking practices.

Hand-harvested and stored in small baskets. 25% fermentation by
indigenous yeast in French oak. 75% fermentation in stainless steel
tanks.

Aged 8 months sur lie in the fermentation vessel. 25% in puncheons and demi-muids and 75% in stainless steel, with battonage.

Wine Enthusiast called Rías Baixas Albariños, “some of the world’s most elegant white wines”, and La Caña is one of the region’s prevailing specialists. The Albariño is aged for eight months on the lees (sediment), adding a silky polish. Partly aged in stainless steel and partly in oak, the finished wine boasts a fine balance of depth and fruit purity.

2. MALLEOLUS 2017

Of a deep mature cherry color, this wine, by Emilio Moro, stands out for the intensity and quality of the sensations it offers. From black fruit aromas to strong and mature tannins that fill our mouth.

The 2017 Malleolus is pure Tempranillo from small parcels (in Spanish "majuelo" and in Latin "malleolus") of vines aged between 25 and 75 years. Yields were reduced by 50% in 2017, so it is a very unusual vintage. It matured in French oak barrels for 18 months.

Very expressive, aromatic, and fresh, without excess ripening and with fruit in the foreground and the oak neatly folded into the fruit. It is juicy, medium to full-bodied, perhaps as concentrated as others, but balanced, with fine-grained tannins. R. Parker, 93 pts

3. CONDADO DE HAZA, 2018

Lots of body, well integrated acidity, well-rounded tannins providing volume and persistence on the palate. The licorice aromas are present on the aftertaste. Ideal for accompanying all kinds of meat.

Clean and brilliant with an attractive black cherry color and purple undertones. Quite intense aromatics revealing ripe red berry and black fruits. A fleshy, silky entry on the palate with perfectly integrated acidity and very pleasant, gentle tannins. The oak is very nicely integrated, expressing notes of toast and vanilla, characteristic of a wine aged in American oak barrels. A medium to long finish.

Great with rice dishes, white and red meats, roast suckling lamb or suckling pig.

4. ORIGINAL – PICO CUADRO 2016

Riper, darker, and more concentrated. It shows more rusticity and black rather than red fruit. It has abundant, fine-grained tannins. Would pair beautifully with cured meats, smoky cheeses, or grilled veggies, such as eggplant.

Original is a tasty and opulent wine that reveals notes of ripe black fruits, flowers, and sweet balsamic touches that are very well proportioned. The wine has great depth with captivating and generous tannins. Very balanced, it offers a long and delicious finish. This is typically the kind of wine you need to enjoy with a beautiful perfectly grilled prime rib. Robert Parker 90 pts.

CV Members Rating – It will be posted after the tasting

View the full evaluation here:

Best Rated Wine: Malleolus Emilio Moro

Best Buy: Albariño blanco.

References: Several sites provided by Google.

ALGUNOS OTROS VINOS MÁS CONOCIDOS DE RIBERA DEL DUERO

8000 MARQUÉS DE BURGOS
Es un vino con el que las archiconocidas Bodegas LAN demuestran que su presencia en Ribera del Duero no es ninguna aventura.

ALEXANDER VS THE HAM FACTORY
Un vino creado para dejarlo envejecer y comprobar cómo mejora en botella en los próximos diez años. Crianza de año y medio en barrica de roble y al menos seis meses más en botella. Su producción es limitada.

ALTOS DEL ENEBRO
Un clásico ajeno a modas del mercado y muy centrado en la identidad vitivinícola de la Ribera del Duero. Con mucha dedicación en la selección de la uva, 100% Tinto Fino, de 18 meses en barrica y con edición limitada y numerada.

ANTÍDOTO
10 años cumple ya este vino especialísimo. Un 100% Tinto Fino Soriano, con doce meses de crianza en barrica, apto para todos los días. Proviene de cepas de entre 80 y 100 años, cosechadas a mano y distribuidas en unas 350 pequeñas parcelas de viñedo.

CARDELA CRIANZA
Elegancia y sutileza. Es lo que ofrece Bodegas Bohórquez con este vino a la vez fresco y vivo, bernet- Sauvignon y un 3% de Merlot, pasa su crianza de doce meses en barrica.

CONDADO DE ORIZA GRAN RESERVA
Elaborado con uvas muy selectas, procedentes de viñedos de cuarenta años, el Condado de Oriza Gran Reserva encarna a la perfección la evolución de los Ribera del Duero en las últimas décadas. Sus diez días de fermentación a temperatura controlada logran que la Tempranillo ofrezca todos sus matices. Se perfecciona después con 24 meses de permanencia en barrica de roble francés y americano y otros 36 meses en botella.

GRAN ARZUAGA
Un vino creado a partir de cepas centenarias de Albillo y Tempranillo, combinadas con Cabernet-Sauvignon. Es por tanto un vino de gran madurez y equilibrio, con una elaboración prácticamente artesanal. Su finura la alcanza tras veinte meses de crianza en barrica.

LA LOBA
Una joya elaborada con Tempranillo de viñedos centenarios. La climatología, a priori adversa para el viñedo, en realidad se configura como un condicionante definitorio de la personalidad de estos vinos.

PEÑAFALCÓN SIGLO XI
Este vino es la variedad Tempranillo elevada a obra de arte. Se caracteriza por una larga maceración antes de fermentar, siempre con el objetivo de que la uva se exprese, muestre todos sus perfiles. Sus crianzas en barrica van desde los 14 hasta los 60 meses.

PORTIA
Portia ofrece una gama de tintos 100% Tempranillo de la Ribera del Duero con diversos niveles de crianza. Van desde el Roble, con cuatro meses en barrica de roble francés, hasta el Prima La Encina, con quince meses. Son vinos muy limpios e intensos en aromas.

VALSOTILLO VS
Este Tempranillo es un reserva de 24 meses, durante los que reposa en barricas de roble americano y francés situadas en una bodega subterránea que data del siglo XVI. Se elabora a partir de viñedos seleccionados con más de 80 años y producciones muy escasas. El mayor patrimonio de la Val Sotillo Bodegas es la galería subterránea de más de 1.200 metros cuadrados, que garantiza una maduración en excelentes condiciones.

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Laughing time:

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