Tasting # 247 – November 15, 2022 – 12:30   The Best Red Wines of 2022:
Priorat, Ribera Del Duero, Ribera Sacra, Rioja, and Toro

 Capri Ristorante, McLean VA

Power Point presentation version in pdf format by Ricardo Santiago    click here

1 – Objective and Tasting Procedure  

1.1 Objective

Compare the best red wines selected in the tastings of the Club del Vino in 2022.

1.2 Tasting Procedure

– Blind Tasting in random order.

-Participants will rank the wines by order of preference (subjective ranking).

– The preferences are aggregated and informed to the participants.

– Participants will comment on the wines.

– Participants may try to identify the wines.

– The wines are identified, and prices are disclosed.

– Participants select ‘best value’ wine.

Presentation by Ricardo Santiago

Members Present:  TBA

Menu

– Appetizer: Calamari Fritti (Fried Fresh Calamari & Zucchini, served with mild fra-diavolo sauce).

– Pasta: Ravioli di Vitello (Homemade Ravioli filled with veal and mozzarella in aurora sauce).

– Meat: Lamb chops with Rice al Fungi.

-Cheese: Cheese from Spain (TBD: Manchego, Idiazabal, Mahon, Tetilla, or   Zamorano).

   -Dessert.

2  – Red Wines Tasted In 2022

• 29 red wines were tasted in 2022.
• Wines were from the 2 Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa/DOQ) and from 9 Denominación de Origen (DO).
• Great representation of the diversity and excellence of red wines of Spain. (Future tastings should include Vinos de Pago, Mencía wines from DO Bierzo and additional DOCa Priorat and Garnacha Tinta based wines.)

3. Red Wines Tasted By Region And Do/Doca

1. Green Spain: Galicia   —                DO Ribeira Sacra       2
2. Duero River Valley: Castilla Y León  — DO Ribeira D. Duero     6,                                                                                                     —    DO Toro    3

1. La Rioja: Rioja                                     —      DOCa Rioja             7
2. Ebro River Valle: Navarra             —       DO Navarra                1                                                     Aragon                       —       DO Campo De Borja     1
3. Cataluña: Cataluña                          —        DOCca Priorat           3
4. Central Meditter.: Valencia            —        DO Valencia           1                                                                                                     —       Do Alicante            2
5. The Meseta: Castilla-La Mancha —-DO Manchuela     1                                                                                                          —-        Do Almansa     2

4 – Best Red Wines, Spain, 2022, By Tasting 

#237 – Jan    DO Rib Sacra:           Dominio DO Bibei, Lalama, Ribera Sacra, 2017 (Mencía 90%, Brancellao, And Traces Of Garnacha And Mouraton)

 #238 – Feb   No Red Wines

#239 – Mar   DO Rib Duero:         Condado De Haza, Ribera Del Duero, Crianza, 2018  (Tempranillo 100%)

#240 – Apr    DO Almansa:            Venta La Vera,Ternario 1, Almansa, 2019 (Garnacha Tintorera 100%)

#241- May    Doq Priorat: Ferret Bobet, Vinyes Velles, Priorat, 2017 (Carinena 74% And Garnacha 26%)

#242 – Jun    DOCa Rioja:  Marqués De Cáceres, Reserva, Rioja, 2016 (Tempranillo 90%) And Latitud 42, Gran Reserva, Rioja, 2010 (Tempranillo)

#243 – Jul      Doc Alicante:           Bodegas Artadi De Laguardia, El Seque, Alicante, 2019 (Monastrell 100%)

#244 – Aug   DOCa Rioja:  Sierra Cantabria, Crianza, 2017 (Tempranillo 100%)

#245 – Sep    DO Rib Duero:         Emilio Moro, Malleolus, Ribera Del Duero, 2017 (Tempranillo 100%)

#246 – Oct    DO Toro:        Hacienda Terra D`Uro,  Uro, Toro, 2016 (Tinta De Toro 100%)

5. Selection of the Wines

– Five wines were selected from the best wines in the ten tastings that included red wines.

– Selected wines are from five different DOC/DOCa.

– Wines are from the main DOC/DOCa.

– Vintages may be different from the wines originally tasted because of availability of wines in the market.

– Prices were not taken into consideration.

6. WINES SELECTED

–     WINES FROM THE TWO DENOMINACIÓN DE ORIGEN CALIFICADA

     Marqués de Cáceres, Reserva, Rioja, 2016.
     Ferrer Bobet, Vinyies Velles, Priorat, 2018.

–    THE TEMPRANILLOS OF CASTILLA-LEÓN: TINTO FINO AND TINTA DE TORO

      Emilio Moro, Malleolus, Ribera del Duero, 2019.
      Hacienda Terra d`Uro, Uro, Toro, 2016.

–   THE MENCÍA OF RIBEIRA SACRA

      Dominio do Bibei, Lalama, Ribeira Sacra, 2018.

7. Ratings of Selected Wines by Wine Club Members, %

8.  WINES

8.1       FERRER BOBET, VINYES VELLES, PRIORAT, 2018.

Varieties: Cariñena (86%) and Garnacha Tinta (14%).
Vineyard: old vines grown on steep slate hills around the village of Porrera.
Harvest: Manual.
Fermentation: In oak and stainless-steel.
Aging: 15 months in French oak and 11 months in bottle.
Bottled without clarification and filtration (may have harmless deposit).
Alcohol: 14.5%

8.2 DOMINIO DO BIBEI, LALAMA, RIBEIRA SACRA, 2018

Variety: 85% Mencía and 15% (Brancellao, Mouratón, Sousón, and Garnacha Tintorera).
Vineyards: Vines 23 to 100 years old in different types of soils.
Harvest: By hand.
Fermentation: French oak troncocónicos (25, 35, and 45 HL).
Aging: 18 months in old French oak barrels (300 and 500l)  and 10 months in troncocónicos of French oak (45 HL).
Alcohol: 14%

8.3 EMILIO MORO, MALLEOLUS, RIBERA DEL DUERO, 2019.

Variety: 100% Tempranillo (Tinto Fino)
Vintage 2019 in DO Ribera del Duero: Excellent.
Vineyards: Selected grapes from old vines trained as bushes and on trellising.
Malolatic Fermentation: 30 days in stainless-steel tanks.
Ageing: French oak barrels
Alcohol: 14.5%

8.4    MARQUES DE CACERES, RESERVA, RIOJA, 2016

Varieties: Tempranillo (90%) and other varieties (10%).
Vintage in 2016 DOCa Rioja: `Very Good`.
Vineyards: Old vineyards from Rioja Alta and Rioja Alavesa.
Harvest: By hand.
Aging: 15 months in French oak barrels, equally divided between new barrels and one- and two-year old barrels. Minimum two years in bottle.
Alcohol: 14%

8.5 HACIENDA TERRA D`URO, URO, TORO, 2016

Variety: 100 % Tinta de Toro.
Vintage 2016 in DO Toro: ‘Excellent’.
Vineyard: “Finca La Coscojosa” pre-phylloxera vines of 90 years of age planted in bush.
Viticulture: Organic – Ecological.
Harvest: Exclusively manual.
Fermentation: In 5000 liters oak barrels.
Aging: 20 months in French oak casks of 500 liters.
Alcohol: 14.5%

9. CV Members Rating

The participants first ranked the wines in order of preference without rating their quality. Then participants rated according to the indicators of quality level – from mediocre to exceptional. The combined results are as follows:

Best Rated Wine: Uro Toro 2016; close second: Malleolus Ribera del Duero 2019

Best Buy: Marqués de Cáceres, Reserva Rioja, 2016.

View the full evaluation here:

10.   REFERENCES

-Information on the appellations, wineries, and varieties of the selected wines can be found in the Club del Vino tastings:

Tasting # 237 – Ribeira Sacra

Tasting # 239 – Ribera del Duero and Toro

Tasting # 241 – Priorat

Tasting # 242 – Ribera del Duero and Rioja

Tasting # 244 –  Rioja

Tasting # 245 – Ribera del Duero

Tasting # 246 –  Toro

-Recommended book on Spanish wines:

Ballesteros Torre, Pedro. Compreender el Vino: Casi todo lo que aún no te havian contado de los vinos españoles. Planeta Gastro, 2021.

Available on Amazon Kindle, $8.99 (Comprender el vino: Casi todo lo que aún no te habían contado de los vinos españoles: Ballesteros Torres, Pedro: 9788408249795: Amazon.com: Books)

.o0o.

Three wise lessons:

3 lessons:
1. Do not despair before it’s over.
2. Do not celebrate before it’s over.
3. Do not leave your post before the fight is over.

.o0o.