2012 Bodegas Vizcarra JC Vizcarro Ribera del Duero Tempranillo

Bodegas Vizcarra is in the Ribera del Duero appellation. The 64-acre estate was founded in 1991 by Juan Carlos Vizcarra. Juan Carlos, an innovator in the world of Spanish winemaking, earned degrees in viticulture and winemaking before starting making wine on his father’s estate. Vizcarra makes a portfolio of red wines, including a special cuvee, Celia Vizcarra, named for his eldest daughter. The Celia is very limited production with fewer than 250 cases produced annually. It is 90% Tinto (Tempranillo) and 10% Garnacha.

Ribera del Duero is, in the words of wine writer Jancis Robinson and Hugh Johnson, “the modern red wine miracle of northern Spain.” In 2012 Wine Enthusiast magazine named it the international wine region of the year. The appellation is a high, rocky plateau in north/central Spain that follows the Duero River for 60 miles before the river passes into Portugal, where it becomes the famous Douro River, then flows into the Atlantic Ocean. There are more than 60,000 vineyard acres in the appellation and only red wines are produced under appellations regulations. Low rainfall, hot days, many hours of sunlight and harsh winters produce grapes of great depth and flavor. Ribera de Duero’s reputation owes much to Vega Sicilia, a 150-year old estate known both for its excellent traditional red wines and its willingness to innovate with the times. Tempranillo, known locally as Tinto Fino, is the dominant red grape in the appellation, and it is often blended with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec or Merlot. The highly acclaimed Bodegas Alejandro Fernandez, world famous for its Tinto Pesquera, is also in Ribera del Duero. The appellation status was awarded in 1982.

Think leather and cherries together for Tempranillo wines. This wine looks lighter than it is. It can be medium or full bodied, but its thin-skinned, big grapes, give it a more transparent appearance. It is grown in Spain, Portugal, the U.S. and Australia.