Wine & Spirits - June 2019 - 70

YEAR'S BEST RIBERA DEL DUERO
92 | Conde de Siruela

$27

2015 Ribera del Duero Crianza Tempranillo ^ The Frutos Villar family, growers in
Toro, expanded to Ribera del Duero in 1988,
where they now farm 518 acres and produce
the Conde de Siruela wines at Bodega Santa
Eulalia in La Horra. The first thing you might
notice is the oak, but then the lasting impression is the length, a tight black-raspberry and
green anise character that expands with air
into cherry and rhubarb, while still holding
its savory, mineral grip. It's worth spending
time with this wine as it opens into a refreshing style of Ribera with the mineral-tinged
acidity to complement juicy grilled lamb. §
Alphapac Fine Wines, Miami, FL
271781

92 | La Capilla

$40

2014 Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada ^ This is the first release from a new project by the Forner family of Marqués de Cáceres in Rioja. They are farming vines in Roa,
La Horra and Anguix, working with oenologist Rodrigo Miñón, who selects the bunches
for this wine, allows the fruit to ferment
spontaneously, then ages it in new French
oak barrels. Enriched by five percent merlot,
this is an elegant red with the succulent freshness of finely grown Ribera del Duero tem-

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pranillo. The red- and black-plum flavors are
deepened by woodsmoke and a meaty note
that will echo the flavor of grilled baby lamb. §
Vineyard Brands, Birmingham, AL
270499

92 | Alejandro Fernández

$145

2008 Ribera del Duero Reserva Pesquera
Millenium ^ Alejandro Fernández makes
Millenium from vines he planted in the late
1960s and early '70s at Viña Alta, at 2,600
feet in elevation. A blend of fruit from two
parcels, one on slopes, the other more sheltered, it's a staunchly traditional Ribera del
Duero. The fresh notes in the fruit are more
black currant than blackberry, and there's a
coolness in the acidity that keeps the wine
lively despite the oxidative notes of barrel
aging. Josh Lit of Gotham Bar & Grill in NYC
described it as "an old-school rustic style."
The lasting richness of the juicy, bold fruit
makes it all the more impressive in that style. §
Folio Fine Wine Partners, Napa, CA
270544

92 | Legaris

$50

2015 Ribera del Duero Alcubilla de Avellaneda ^ This bottling comes from a vineyard in
Alcubilla de Avellaneda, a village in Soria at
an elevation of 3,035 feet, the estate's second
highest site. Growing in clay-limestone soils,
the vines deliver a tense and tannic wine,
bearing the blackberry character of tempranillo in Ribera, along with a bright-red plum
flavor-the fresh, lifted feel of fruit grown
at high altitude. Earthy, dark and powerfully
structured, this wine will come into focus
over the next five years. § Aveníu Brands, NY

270847

92 | Portia

wineandspiritsmagazine.com

$75

2014 Ribera del Duero Triennia Tempranillo ^ This wine has a wholesome roundness to its juicy blueberry fruit, rich without
weight. Oak fills out the flavors but doesn't
diminish the rosemary and dried herb notes,
or the meaty depths of the fruit. An elegant,
mineral-inflected red from Grupo Faustino's 395-acre vineyard project, started in the
1990s in Ribera del Duero's northern reaches,
this grows at the Pago Carronda in Gumiel

de Mercado, where the vines rise above 3,000
feet. § Pacific Highway Wines, Greensboro, CA
270480

92 | Finca Torremilanos

$39

92 | Veganzones

$22

2014 Ribera del Duero Reserva Torre Albéniz ^ Ricardo Peñalba makes the wine at his
family's 495-acre estate in Aranda de Duero,
his vines certified organic (and his wines certified biodynamic as of 2015, by Demeter).
This is a field blend from parcels of bush
vines that average 80 years old, mostly tempranillo, with five percent other local varieties. He ages it for more than two years
in French oak barrels, the wood influence
accentuating the wine's richness without
getting in the way of its energy and drive.
It's fresh and bright, deepening into flavors
of blackberries and anise. § Skurnik Wines &
Spirits, NY
270436
2015 Ribera del Duero Crianza Viejo
Mundo ^ The Veganzones brothers, who
launched this label in 2005, farm 37 acres
of vines at 3,000 feet in altitude in Fompedraza, near Peñafiel, providing some of the
fruit for this deliciously fresh 2015. It's a
lively Ribera focused on earthy flavors, with
a buzzing acidity that drives through notes
of blackberries and basil. This is juicy, pure
and clean. § Vintage Wine Marketing, Napa, CA
270850

92 | Vizcarra

$204

2011 Ribera del Duero Gran Reserva Torralvo ^ Juan Carlos Vizcarra blends this wine
from 11 estate-owned parcels in Mambrilla,
in the north-central area of the Ribera DO,
the vines ranging in age from 25 to 70 years
old. The wine's dark fruit has the gaminess of
roast pigeon and the plump richness of roast
duck, either of which would be a good pairing
for this if you decant it a few hours ahead. It
needs air or cellar time to get past the muscular, mineral bluntness of its tannins, spicy
and brisk, the finish touched by a warm note
of Calvados that deepens the flavors, which
are more than substantial enough to take in
the heat. § Olé and Obrigado, New Rochelle, NY
270220

91 | Dominio de
la Abadesa

$17

2016 Ribera del Duero Roble (Best Buy) ^
This is a powerful Ribera that needs time
in a decanter to settle down. It's volatile at
first, with vegetal scents, until air brings out
the fruit and tones the volatile acidity into a
lifted sense of spice. It mellows into a sweet
and spicy flavor of raspberries, cherries,
cedar and pencil lead, a rich red for grilled
lamb. § Gabriel Wilson Selections, Seattle, WA
270587
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Wine & Spirits - June 2019

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