REACHFOR RIBERA

BY TANNERS PRIVATESALES DIRECTOR ROBERT BOUTFLOWER

The Ribera del Duero DO stretches 115km from Valladolid and Peñafiel to Aranda in the east, along, broad valley south of Burgos.

Originally afairly poor and demanding agricultural area about a hundred miles north of Madrid, it became renowned as the home of Vega Sicilia, Spain’s globally recognised ‘premier wine’. The investment opportunities of the 1980s encouraged asort of ‘Gold Rush’ to the region as folk battled to grab apart of the Vega Sicilia legend, their efforts showing potential while often retaining arustic edge.

The substrata are silty clay over limestone with poor alluvial deposits nearer the river,and finer chalk at higher altitude. This is ahigh frost risk area, costs are higher than the world average and vintages are more variable than in Rioja.

However,the intensity of flavours and density of Ribera wines make them more age-worthy and certainly acounterpoint to their famous neighbour,while being ‘Spanish’ in their warmth and generosity

Today Ribera del Duero is producing some fantastic, world-classwines –taste them and you will not be disappointed.

Dominio Basconcillos was probably the most exciting find we made just before the pandemic took hold of our lives, and what a find it was! Among the many delights of visiting vineyards is sitting down to lunchwith your hosts and really getting to grips with what makes them tick.

Iwas lucky enough to meet José Maria Basconcillos,headofthe clan at DominioBasconcillos, and his enthusiasm for his region was palpable; his face beamed as his arm moved round the horizon before exclaiming, “Altitude!”.

Set above the plain of Ribera, north of Aranda del Duero, José Maria’s vineyards lie at 960m above sea level, at least 100 metres higher thanhis neighbours. This means his wines benefitfrom: lower temperature, adegreeless per 100m of climb; higher UV exposure to make thicker skins therefore giving a darker colour; wider diurnal (day/night) temperature range ensuring aslower, more stable growing and ripening period; and more breeze, improving health and restricting moulds and rot.

There is also the risk that temperaturesg abit lower,sothe cold can restrict ripening, but in general it seems the benefits outweigh the problems.

Using sustainable and environmentally friendly methods and with more Cabernet Sauvignon andMerlot planted than their neighbours, this is atop bodega with intentions to be awine of reference in Ribera del Duero for the future.

By way of contrast, we also feature a bodega based five miles south and down on the valley floor,Abadia de Acon. Run by charming brothers Carlos andJosé Carrasco, who have reinvigorated their grandfather’s business with modern tech and better vineyard health, you’ll find their wines are dense and chunky in feel with claret-like tannins.There’s still afreshness and balance, due to better vineyard management according to Carlos, and that typically satisfying Ribera richness. The oak is alittle more pronounced than Basconcillos, compensating for the extra weight of fruit

–these are big wines, if that’s the style you seek.

Probably the second most famous name in Ribera del Duero is that of Pesquera, abodega established before the rush in the early 1970s. Based in the heart of the DO near Penafiel,winemaker Alejandro Fernandez was making concentrated, well-balanced with plenty of density and some class. He sent a sample to US critic, Robert Parker,who labelled it ‘the Pétrus of Spain’, ensuring fame and fortune world-wide.

Alejandro died in 2021 but his legacy continues in the hands of five granddaughters and three wineries, all producing great wines.

Pesquera Crianza is perhaps the best balanced of their range, with soft fruit married to gentle, spicy oak flavours.

Jesús Madrazo was the man behind the fabulous ImperialRiojas at famous Rioja house, Contino. Leaving afew years ago to set up hisown business, he embarked on various winemaking projects makingparcels of wine in different locations. Ribera del Duero was anaturalprogression for this dynamic winemaker,and we are delighted to get asmall allocation of his ‘Seleccion’ red made near Aranda del Duero at the brand new bodega, TerritorioLuthier

Jesús believes in minimal use of oak, so his wine shows layers of silky fruit which age magnificently,adding complexity to the immediate intensity of flavour you experience on tasting them.

It’s adifferent style to the three previous growers, butwill complete your experience of the best of Ribera del Duero.

In summary,Ribera del Duero is one of the top red wine regions of Spain, producing world-class, concentrated and age-worthy wines with density,intensity and character.

While there aremany in the UK now to choose from, theseexampleswill demonstrate the improvements we have seen over the last decade or so, and the joy of drinking this style of rich, substantial red wine.

Now is the time to Reach for Ribera.