Wine & Spirits - June 2021 - 80

Focus Ribera del Duero
91 | Dominio de Atauta

$35

2017 Ribera del Duero Tempranillo ^ Ismael
Sanz tends this estate's small parcels of centenarian vines at the high altitudes of Atauta,
in the far eastern reaches of Ribera del Duero.
The soils are sandy clay loam over limestone,
sustaining the freshness in this cool and zesty
tempranillo. Having aged for 16 months in
French oak barriques (40 percent new), the
fruit is clean, with red grapefruit juiciness
that extends the earthy blackness. Closed
off for now, this needs several years in the
cellar to show its complexity. § Aviva Vino, NY
525642

91 | Dehesa de
los Canónigos

$48

91 | Ismael Arroyo

$85

2015 Ribera del Duero Solideo Reserva ^ A
blend of tempranillo with 12 percent cabernet sauvignon and three percent of albillo
(the local white grape), this is a pretty red
wine with a delicate, lacy structure. Its scent
of chorizo and sappy blueberry flavors suggest serving the wine with charcuterie. § Vineyards to Table, Miami, FL
525556
2016 Ribera del Duero Valsotillo Reserva
VS ^ Youthfully frisky at five years of age, this
wine has energy to spare, its light, sophisticated tannic structure framing a battle of
flavors-clean, sleek and welcoming dark
fruit against rooty notes of earth and feral
animal scents. Decant it if you open the bottle now, to serve with braised quail or other
dark meat game birds. § Murphy Distributors,
Branford, CT
525590

91 | Jesús Madrazo

$75

2016 Ribera del Duero Selección ^ Jesús
Madrazo left his post at Contino in Rioja Alavesa in 2017, starting Bodegas Terceto with
two friends, Pedro Calatayud and Juan Manuel Moreno. They produce a range of Riojas along with this Ribera del Duero, a blend
of tempranillo with five percent garnacha
that Madrazo makes in Aranda de Duero.
Working with the fruit of 40-year-old vines,
fermented in stainless steel without added
yeasts then aged in used barrels, this is a
smoky, spicy and bold tempranillo. It feels
tough and young, the dry tannins needing
time to mellow and integrate with the savage
fruit. Cellar it. § Spanish Wine Exclusives, NY
525620

91 | Lleiroso

$32

2017 Ribera del Duero Crianza Tempranillo ^ With fruit ripened to a peachy intensity, completely with the bitter peach pit,
this checks any sweetness with zesty acidity, as you might find in a ripe pink grapefruit. Hints of thyme add an herbal auster80

WINE & SPIRITS

JUNE 2021

ity, and if those tannins are clearly present
along with the ripe fruit and pithy acidity, it
all comes together in a supple wine, smooth,
gentle and easy to drink now. § Beviamo Int'l,
Houston, TX
525516

91 | Lleiroso

$19

2018 Ribera del Duero Luz Millar Roble
Tempranillo (Best Buy) ^ From an estate in
Valbuena de Duero, this is harvested from
mature vines growing in calcareous clay soils,
lending the wine a refreshing briskness. The
fruit is black with bright edges, its complex
aroma hinting at rose petals and herbs. Tight
and dry in its earthy tannins, this is ready for
roasted eggplant stuffed with veal. § Beviamo
Int'l, Houston, TX

erty. The soil here is sand and clay mixed
with some alluvial deposits from the river;
the wine is powerfully concentrated, heady
and dense with chocolate and fig flavors
over mouth-gripping tannins. Built to cellar. § Europvin, Van Nuys, CA
525587

90 | Alto de Los Zorros

$39

2014 Ribera del Duero AZ Autor Tempranillo ^ A brand from Solterra, from vineyards
in Roa, this is a black, supple wine that seems
to have converted the sun's energy into an
easy richness. Scents of prunes and roses give
it a lavish feel, for brisket. § Classic Wines, NY

525572

525634

91 | Montebaco

$36

2014 Ribera del Duero Alma de Vino Old
Vine Tempranillo ^ From the high elevations
of northeastern Ribera del Duero, this wine is
the fruit of 80 to 100-year-old vines in Baños
de Valdearados and Bocigas de Perales. Its
luscious black cherry flavors integrate with
the black-walnut savor of oak, the refinement
of the tannins lasting on a pleasantly bitter
cocoa scent. Pour it with lamb chops charred
on the grill. § Barterhouse Imports, NY
525520

91 | Pinna Fidelis

$20

2018 Ribera del Duero Pinna Fidelis Crianza (Best Buy) ^ From a winery in Peñafiel,
this is a modern style of Ribera. Its scent of
oak reveals a deep black cherry core of freshness, explosive with energy in the middle,
then quiet, spicy and gravelly at the end. It's
simple and gentle in its bold flavors. § Consortium Wines & Spirits, Miami, FL
525653

90 | Altos de Aranda

$20

90 | Arzuaga Navarro

$33

90 | Gormaz

$40

90 | Ismael Arroyo

$49

2016 Ribera del Duero Crianza Tempranillo (Best Buy) ^ A deep pool of wild blueberry flavor, from the juicy black skins to
the ripe stems, this is spicy, with earthy tannins that corral all that fruit. For spit-roasted
pork. § Artisans & Vines, Silver Spring, MD
525524
2018 Ribera del Duero Crianza ^ A rich and
complex crianza, this feels a bit worked in its
oak tannins, but the clean, mouthwatering
fruit powers through those tannins in what
Benson Hyde of Provisions in Northampton,
MA, described as a " lingering berry note of
freshness. " It ranges from red berry to red
cherry and thyme, warm and welcoming. §
Kysela Père et Fils, Winchester, VA
525608

$120

2017 Ribera del Duero 12 Linajes Crianza
Tempranillo ^ This gentle red leads with fruit,
an open, airy scent of kirsch over juicy flavors of fresh raspberries and red currants. All
that fruit is integrated into a simple richness,
smooth and refined. § Vinamericas, Miami, FL
525550

2017 Ribera del Duero Alión ^ A modern
take on the Vega-Sicilia estate, Alión comes
from parcels on the flatlands north of the
N-122, the main road that bisects the prop-

2016 Ribera del Duero Valsotillo Reserva ^
Floral and generously rich, this wine's simple
black-grape flavors open to reveal red hints

91 | Vega-Sicilia
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/alto+terrale+crianza+tinto+ribera+duero+castilla+y+leon+spain/2016 https://www.barterhouse.com/wine-spirits/montebaco/
Wine & Spirits - June 2021

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