Wine & Spirits - Summer 2022 - 80

Ribera del Duero
The impression of silk and satin lasts, bringing
you back for more of the generous fruit
in the middle of the wine. A selection from
the Fernández Rivera family's 495 acres of
vines in Pesquera de Duero, growing in sand
and pebbles over limestone, this is remarkably
accessible now; the wine's integration
will serve it well as it ages. § Folio Fine Wine
Partners, Napa, CA
BEST BUYS
92 | Bela
$19
2020 Ribera del Duero Bela (BEST BUY) ^ Bela
is CVNE's project in Ribera del Duero, based
on 182 acres of vines in the sand- and clayloam
soils of Villalba and another 22 acres in
small parcels in the highlands around Moradillo
de Roa (at an altitude of 3,280 feet),
where the ground is packed with stones.
The wine is dark and satisfying, a black robe
of fruit cloaking the gentle tannins. There's
black-currant jam and lingonberry flavor in
a completely dry, savory structure, giving
the wine an austere impression at first. As it
settles in, there's plenty of room for grilled
lamb, or coffee-rubbed barbecue. § Arano,
Miami, FL
92 | Bodegas Aster
$23
2016 Ribera del Duero Crianza (BEST BUY) ^
The team at La Rioja Alta settled in Anguix
when they set out to produce an estate-grown
Ribera del Duero. Their 2016 is tannic, as
cool and black as a moonless night. Tight
and smoky at first, it reveals some spice and
fruit ripeness that brings a peachy edge to the
dark fruit. Decant it for slow-braised short
ribs. § Skurnik Wines, NY
92 | Atalayas de Golbán $20
2018 Ribera del Duero Torre de Golbán
Crianza (BEST BUY) ^ Jaime Suarez of Dominio
de Atauta makes this tart and fresh style of
Ribera del Duero at a separate bodega in
town. The Crianza is a 50-50 blend of fruit
from Soría, in the eastern highlands (the 70to
80-year-old vines growing in sandy soil),
with grapes from Burgos, in the west (from
30-year-old vines growing in clay). It's a tannic
2018, but those tannins seem to use air
to open toward refreshment, allowing fresh
boysenberry flavors to show, as well as sanguine
notes and briny black-olive complexity.
Decant it for grilled lamb. § Aviva Vino, NY
91 | Convento de Oreja
$23
2020 Ribera del Duero Roble (BEST BUY) ^
Thoroughly Ribera del Duero in its power
and austerity, this wine's floral rose scents
shade into blackness, lasting cleanly within
a structure that's both open and intense.
80
WINE & SPIR IT S
There's a hint of greenness from its time in
American and French oak barrels, an edge
that will tame grilled meats. § Kysela Père &
Fils, Winchester, VA
91 | Viña Arnáiz
$30
2011 Ribera del Duero Gran Reserva (BEST
BUY) ^ Lithe in its maturity, this wine has
an old-fashioned sumptuousness without
weight. The satin texture carries a ghost of
blueberry fruit, then it lasts on cinnamon
and red spice. Ready to drink with an aged
Manchego. § CIV USA, Miami, FL
90 | Viña Mayor
$26
2018 Ribera del Duero Reserva (BEST BUY) ^
This is a powerful wine in transition from the
floral notes of its primary fruit. That fruit
is bound with its tannins in layers of rosepetal
bitterness. Black and tight, this will
come into its own with time in a decanter
and the company of a steak. § USA Wine West,
Sausalito, CA
90 | Condado de Haza
$24
2019 Ribera del Duero Crianza (BEST BUY) ^
Dried flower scents of violets and rose petals
rise off this wine's meaty, dark tannins, which
feel substantial but not aggressive. The tannins
are mouth-drying, needing something
to tame them and fill them out, like a fatty
roast duck with berry compote. § Folio Fine
Wine Partners, Napa, CA
90 | Viña Arnáiz
$13
2018 Ribera del Duero Pata Negra Crianza
(BEST BUY) ^ A smooth, strawberry-scented
tempranillo, this wine's lean profile takes
its light fruit into the savory realm of cocoadark
tannins. It's an airy red to serve with
Cantonese beef with black mushrooms. § CIV
USA, Miami, FL
89 | Bodegas Tamaral
$19
2019 Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada
(BEST BUY) ^ Oak grips this wine from the
start, while seed tannins and acidity tighten
around its scents of rose hips and dried fruits.
Cellar it for a year to let the tannins relax. §
Trapical, San Juan, PR
89 | Viña Arnáiz
$23
2016 Ribera del Duero Reserva (BEST BUY) ^
Earthy-sweet flavors of cranberry preserves
meet pepper and eucalyptus scents in this
ripe wine, built for a turkey dinner with stuffing
and gravy. § CIV USA, Miami, FL
88 | Rolland Galarreta
Summ ER 202 2
$20
2018 Ribera del Duero Parcelas en Altura
(BEST BUY) ^ This wine holds to brightness
despite its bold ripeness. Jenna May Cass of
Départ Wine in Great Barrington described
the scent as " candied plums and overripe
garden rose. " There's a lemony edge to the
acidity, placing the wine alongside lamb with
lemon. § Palmateer Wine Group, San Rafael, CA
88 | Finca Torremilanos
$15
2020 Ribera del Duero Montecastrillo
(BEST BUY) ^ " This feels like a rustic and honest
wine, what a vineyard worker would drink, "
said one taster, describing it as a co-ferment
of tempranillo with wild blueberries. It's gentle
and bright, and it tastes like fresh, berryladen
Ribera del Duero. § Skurnik Wines, NY
88 | Abadia de San Quirce $18
2020 Ribera del Duero 6 Meses Barrica
(BEST BUY) ^ A fresh and friendly tempranillo,
this offers clean strawberry and blackberry
flavors that last. It's simple and ready for a
cookout this summer. § USA Wine West, Sausalito,
CA
88 | Vicente Gandia
$20
2020 Ribera del Duero Dolmo Roble Tempranillo
(BEST BUY) ^ The fruit of this wine is
electric blue, a tart tempranillo with bright
blueberry and sour-plum flavors. Juicy and
refreshing, it's a red for cookouts. § Vicente
Gandia USA, Miami, FL
87 | Viña Arnáiz
$11
2020 Ribera del Duero Pata Negra Roble
(BEST BUY) ^ Simple, easy, ripe and soft, this
overdelivers for its price with a plush texture
as its flavors progress from toastiness to dried
fruits. Some orange-zest volatility perks it up,
for tapas. § CIV USA, Miami, FL
86 | Viña Arnáiz
$10
2020 Ribera del Duero (BEST BUY) ^ A simple
tempranillo, earthy and mature for its age,
with chocolate and raspberry notes along
with some volatility. Ready for a grilled chuck
steak. § CIV USA, Miami, FL
85 | Viña Arnáiz
$9
2020 Ribera del Duero Mayor de Castilla
Roble Tempranillo (BEST BUY) ^ Gentle and
light with raspberry flavors and a creamy texture,
this ends with a little bitterness. Pour it
with grilled chicken. § CIV USA, Miami, FL l
Wine & Spirits - Summer 2022

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