Spain
Bodegas Volver
Single Vineyard Tempranillo 2018
Single Vineyard Tempranillo from Central Spain. Dark ruby/purple color. Aromas of ripe black fruit, tobacco, wet soil and anise seed. Flavors of cooked black cherries, currants and plums, dark cocoa powder, black olives and vanilla. Nicely integrated toasty oak on the long and plush finish. Full bodied. Extremely complex and nicely balanced. Well integrated and very smooth tannins. Bold and very well structured. Quite satisfying. Outstanding quality for the price. Great pick, Petey! — 8 days ago
Dominio de Pingus
Flor de Pingus Ribera del Duero Tempranillo 2021
Pingus, named after childhood nickname, deep Ruby with concentrated dark fruit aromas and gently smoky notes. On the palate flavors of cherry and plum, licorice, sweet vanilla spice, well balanced, fine grainy tannins, long finish ending with slight oaky tones. Very Nice! — 10 days ago
Bodegas y Viñedos Vega Sicilia
Valbuena 5° Ribera del Duero Tempranillo Blend 1997
Mariano García’s final vintage at Vega Sicilia. What a great bottle.
The nose opens with damp forest floor, leather, cedar, and quiet red fruit; subtle, reserved, endlessly composed.
On the palate, it’s silk laid gently over structure: dried cherry, tobacco, graphite, and savory earth carried by fine-grain tannins and measured acidity.
The finish reads like the final lines of a great novel: inevitable, complete, and exactly as it should be. And already, there’s a touch of nostalgia, because I don’t know when I’ll encounter something like this again. — 21 days ago
Somm David T
Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator
A stop for Sofia & I in 2015.
Tempranillo with this age is so soft, elegant and even a tad sweet for such a rustic varietal. This bottle has been well stored acquired from a distributor. Very little soft, mushy sediment and no bottle neck burn. Perfect fill line.
It glides onto the palate. Ripe; sweet to tart/sour cherries, rhubarb, brambly blackberries/black raspberries, baked plums & strawberries with some me hovering raspberries/blueberries. Dry-tobacco-stems-leather-top soil-crushed rocks-understated herbs-sage/bay leaf, haunting spices, incense, balsamic, sweet, mid tarriness, dry tomatoes w/ leaf, dry; dark red flowers-roses, rainfall acidity, well balanced, soft structure/tension and elegant finish that lasts 90 seconds and falls on dry earthiness & flowers.
This picked up weight as it decanted & with the Bavette Steak w/ Chimichurri Sauce. — 3 days ago