Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 77

Focus
Ribera del Duero
Our blind panels tasted 161 new-release Ribera del Duero wines for this issue. Joshua
Greene, our critic for the wines of Spain, rated 50 as exceptional (90+) and 22 as Best
Buys. Find a complete list of wines tasted and all reviews at wineandspiritsmagazine.com.

98 | Vega-Sicilia

$780

Ribera del Duero Unico Reserva Especial ^
If you wonder how a single wine comes to
define the character of a region-if not an
entire country-spend some time with Unico
Reserva Especial. Native to Valladolid, grown
near the town that was once the center of
Castilla y León and the seat of the kingdom
of Spain, the wine's particular interaction of
strength and elegance provides a window
into the Castilian soul. The vines that provide the fruit for Unico rise up a north-facing slope, the escarpment at the edge of a
high plateau that was once a lake bed, its sediments combining sand and clay flecked with
crystalized gypsum, soils that sustain generations of vines ranging from 40 to 60 and 80
years old. This 2021 bottling of Reserva Especial combines 59 barrels selected from the
2009, 2010 and 2011 vintages of Unico. The
skeleton of the wine is built out of that lakebottom soil with its glinting facets of gypsum;
the scent of the wine is built out of the complexity of fruit from old vines-rose garden,
cigar box, red spices and deep red currants.
Reserva Especial sustains its fresh succulence
for a week after the bottle is first opened,
allowing you to enjoy its increasing depths,
layering earth, fruit and sun into a wine of
substantial beauty. § Europvin, Van Nuys, CA
525650

96 | Vega-Sicilia

$220

2016 Ribera del Duero Valbuena 5 ^ This is
the second vintage of Valbuena for Gonzalo
Iturriaga, the Rioja-born technical director
of Vega-Sicilia. And if it is any indication of
his talents, the young Iturriaga has a lot to
contribute to this iconic Castilian estate.
The fruit for Valbuena comes from vines on
Vega-Sicilia's north-facing hillside in Valladolid, below the parcels that go into Unico,
and above the road that separates the hillside from the bodega itself and the richer
soils approaching the Duero river. In 2016, it
has the exuberant energy of spring, cool and
sunny with scents of Queen Anne's lace and
wild anise. The floral fruit ranges from the
high-toned brightness of an August tomato
to the deeper tones of green figs and dark
plums. Then, the spicy note of crystalized
ginger in the finish has an earthiness that
calls to mind the crystalized gypsum in the

soil on this hill. A remarkably elegant take
on Valbuena, this is a wine to covet for your
cellar. § Europvin, Van Nuys, CA
525611

96 | La Vieja Cepa

$70

2014 Ribera del Duero Marqués de Uros
Virtus Selección Especial ^ Arnaldo Alejandro Rodriguez Coca and his family farm 37
acres in Burgos, including the 60-to-70-yearold parcels in La Horra that provide fruit for
this wine. His 2014 tastes like Spanish food,
the flavors giving joyful pleasure and flavor detail that lives on with stubborn Spanish perseverance. It's the kind of unfettered
length of flavor you might find in a great
grand cru Burgundy, lasting here with a completely Iberian turn. Part of that is the sunny
ripeness of hedonistically sweet fruit, floral,
juicy and completely fresh. Part of it is the
dark tones of spice, of anise and musk that
brings up an appetite for game, perhaps wild
duck braised with wild mushrooms. At once
luscious and restrained, this is seductively
delicious. § Classic Wines, Stamford, CT
525651

96 | Vega-Sicilia

$594

2011 Ribera del Duero Unico ^ A challenging
vintage of Unico, this grew out of a hot season in Ribera del Duero that produced a stalwart, powerful wine. The warmth of the season shows in the initial scents of Moroccan
spices and flamed orange zest, the structure
powerful, muscular and aggressive when you
first pull the cork. Give it time, measured in
days, and the layers begin to show, the somber black fruit yielding notes of red, opening to refinement and, ultimately, elegance
and restraint. It's a grand wine with delicacy
that carries through into the lasting flavors.
A week after the bottle was opened, the
wine is completely transformed, its unveiled
freshness suggesting decades of life ahead. §
Europvin, Van Nuys, CA
525606

95 | Atalayas de Golbán

$26

2016 Ribera del Duero Torre de Golbán
Reserva Tempranillo (Best Buy) ^ Jaime
Suárez came to this project in 2016; he says,
" The idea was to make a reserva as the wines
were originally made in Ribera del Duero,
when the best wines were made simply with
the best grapes. " He makes the wine at a

sister winery to Dominio de Atauta, working with parcels of old vines (past 80 years)
in Soria's sandy soils for 60 percent of this
blend, the balance from 40- to 50-year-old
vines in the clay soils of Burgos. He makes
a strict selection of the grapes at the winery, fermenting them in stainless steel and
then aging the wine for 18 months in French
oak barrels (35 percent new). The result is
a bright, invigorating, absolutely delicious
wine. It carries the freshness of the mountains and the clarity of river water at the
source. Grown at the headwaters of the
Duero, there's something primal about this
wine-one taster compared its scent of fresh
grass and herbs to cow's breath, " sweet and
beautiful. " The wine's integration predicts a
long cellar life ahead, its flavors and structure
still tightly woven a week after the bottle was
first opened. § Aviva Vino, NY

525610

94 | Altos de Valdoso

$65

94 | Arzuaga Navarro

$53

2014 Ribera del Duero Reserva ^ This grows
at Bodegas Olarra's 340-acre estate east of
Aranda de Duero at altitudes reaching 3,200
feet. Its scent wraps mountain herbs and
grasses into a bundle of late-summer hay,
while the brisk tannins carry the same kind
of minor-key savor. The flavors themselves
are racy, with the energy of the sun and the
earthy coolness of the river pouring out in
refreshing red berries along with their seeds.
If you've spent summers in the mountains,
you may find this wine super evocative. It
brought back lots of scent memories for
Berkshire chef Amy Loveless, who started
to plan a meal around it with mackerel or
lamb, either of them wrapped in hay and buried in the coals of a fire this summer. § Tri-Vin
Imports, New Rochelle, NY
525643
2016 Ribera del Duero Reserva ^ The
Arzuaga Navarro family has built a small
empire in Quintanilla de Onésimo, with a
3,700-acre estate at Finca La Planta along
with 518 acres of vineyards between La
Planta and the bodega about four miles
up the road, adjacent to the family's grand
WINE & SPIRITS

JUNE 2021

77


http://www.wineandspiritsmagazine.com https://www.grupobodegasolarra.com/en/tienda/altos-valdoso-en/red-wine/

Wine & Spirits - June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - June 2021

Contents
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - Cover1
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - Cover2
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 1
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 2
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 3
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - Contents
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 5
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 6
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 7
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 8
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 9
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 10
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 11
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 12
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 13
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 14
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 15
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 16
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 17
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 18
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 19
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 20
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 21
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 22
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 23
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 24
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 25
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 26
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 27
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 28
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 29
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 30
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 31
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 32
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 33
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 34
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 35
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 36
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 37
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 38
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 39
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 40
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 41
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 42
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 43
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 44
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 45
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 46
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 47
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 48
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 49
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 50
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 51
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 52
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 53
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 54
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 55
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 56
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 57
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 58
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 59
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 60
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 61
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 62
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 63
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 64
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 65
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 66
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 67
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 68
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 69
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 70
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 71
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 72
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 73
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 74
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 75
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 76
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 77
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 78
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 79
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 80
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 81
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 82
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 83
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 84
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 85
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 86
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 87
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 88
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - Cover3
Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - Cover4
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2024spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2023winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2023fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2023summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2023spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2022winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2022fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2022summer
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2022spring
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2021winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202110
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202108
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202106
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202104
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202102
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2020winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202010
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202008
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202006
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202004
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/202002
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201912
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201911
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201910
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201908
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201906
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201904
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201902
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201812
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2018_winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201810
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201809
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201808
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201806
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201804
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201802
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201712
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2017winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201710
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201709
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201708
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201706
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201704
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201702
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201612
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2016winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201610
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2016fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201608
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201606
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201604
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201602
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201512
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2015winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201510
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2015fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201508
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201506
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201504
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201502
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201412
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2014winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201410
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2014fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201408
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201406
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201404
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201402
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201312
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2013winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201310
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2013fall
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201308
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201306
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201304
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201302
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201212
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/2012winter
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201210
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/fall2012
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201208
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201206
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201204
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201202
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/drm_test
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201112
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/winespirits/201110
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com