2016 Bodegas Aalto Ribera del Duero, 1.5ltr

Bodegas Aalto in Valladolid, Spain, is a 175-acre estate dedicated to making wines from 100% Tempranillo. Founded in 1999, it is the enterprise of Mariano Garcia, one of Spain’s leading winemakers, and Javier Zaccagnini. Garcia was for 30 years the chief winemaker at Vega Sicilia. Bodegas Aalto owns some of the best vineyards in the Valladolid region, including some with 60-year old vines. Robert M. Parker Jr. has noted that Bodegas Aalto wines “are structured for extended cellaring.” He has awarded many of the vintages ratings in the high 90s.

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.