Tasting Notes
Ribeiro del Duero 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.
I have been a fan of the producers of this wine, Hermanos Pérez Pascuas, for many years. They never disappoint. This winery, a veteran and considered a pioneer in Ribera del Duero, began activities in 1980, when three brothers, Benjamín, Manuel and Adolfo Pérez Pascuas, convinced of the excellent potential that lay in the vineyards owned by their father, Mauro, decided to initiate an ambitious project: 'to make one of the best wines in Spain and to carve a niche for it in the international marketplace'. Two generations of the family work together to fulfil this aim and Hermanos Pérez Pascuas is now considered to be one of the leading challengers to Vega Sicilia.
This is their top class Ribeiro del Duero Crianza produced 100% from Tempranillo, more often associated with Rioja. The grapes are selected individually in the vineyard to make sure that only the best berries are selected; fermentation takes place with natural yeasts and ageing is in oak barrels for 18 months (vs 12 months minimum required for Ribeiro del Duero Crianza wines). The wine is bottled without filtering or fining so there may be some sediment.
Crianza implies a relatively young wine but this does not look, smell or taste young. It is showing ripe fruit and freshness but with quite developed savoury and spicy characteristics after 18 months in a mix of new and old oak barrels. Black fruits with cranberry and spices like vanilla, liquorice and clove are evident together with some meaty notes. The wine is medium to full-bodied, balanced and rounded. The tannins are just noticeable with a slight drying effect but they are balanced. The wine is silky and the cranberry & savoury finish very long. This really is a top class classical Ribeiro del Duero.
Food Pairing
Recommended to drink with game, duck, goose, steak and other red meats, poultry, cheese, charcuterie and paella
Producer's Notes
"... The quality of the grapes was extraordinary as a result of perfect weather conditions and the excellent health of the vineyards. Wines from this vintage have considerable volume, a good capacity to stand the test of time, and have a roundness and outstanding tannin. This vintage is reminiscent of the late 80s and early 90s."
Awards
92+ points RobertParker.com Aug 2018
"Accounting for half of the total production of the winery with some 200,000 bottles, the 2016 Viña Pedrosa Crianza shows the perfect vintage, like when they harvested perfect grapes in the harvest dates of yesteryear. This has a classical profile, with spice and smoke from the barrel nicely integrated with the fruit, with no excess. A Crianza like the ones that made the appellation famous. Elegant, balanced and powerful but harmonious. It was bottled in May 2018. Again, among the best vintages for this bottling."
Guía Gourmets 95 points
Guía Peñin 93 points
