Bodegas Peñalba López Torremilanos Ribera del Duero Crianza 1991

Description

At over thirty years old, Bodegas Peñalba López Torremilanos Ribera del Duero Crianza 1991 shows how a good Ribera del Duero can age as well as, if not better than, a good Rioja; in fact this wine beat a table of older Riojas at a trade tasting and everyone around the table wanted to stay for more. Torremilanos Ribera del Duero Crianza 1991 spent a minimum of 12 months ageing in oak barrels and of course it has been ageing in bottle ever since which makes a lot of time to develop. The wine still has surprisingly fresh red and black fruit flavours, good acidity and some spice flavours from the oak ageing. It is mainly Tempranilllo but 5% Cabernet Sauvignon was added which has aided the mellowing and longevity of this wine. It has a lovely velvety texture and a long fruity finish. I was in heaven trying this wine. Ribera del Duero is one of those wine regions in Spain that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. It is something of a well-kept secret. It can be expensive but it is usually worth it. So if you are curious to see how long good wine can keep, treat yourself to a bottle of Torremilanos Ribera del Duero Crianza 1991.

Take special care when opening this wine; in some bottles the cork is fragile because of the age of the wine. Leave the bottle to stand for several days before opening. It can be decanted as it has some sediment (though not as much as you might expect from such an old wine) but don’t be too energetic in pouring given the age of the wine – or simply pour carefully directly into your wine glasses. If at first the wine seems a little subdued, give it a swirl in the glass to release all the aromas & flavours.