Ribera del Duero

Vega Real is a personal venture belonging to Barbadillo in the D.O. Ribera del Duero; and El Empecinado is the firm’s best and flagship wine. A Tempranillo that was created from grapes selected from plots that grow at a high altitude with dominant primary notes (ripe red fruit) and is very full on the palate

Convento San Francisco Selección Especial 2018 is made up of 2 small, very old Tempranillo vineyards under the D.O. Ribera del Duero, located in the municipalities of Gumiel de Izán and Quintana del Pidio, 65 years on average. They are located at 850 meters above sea level on slopes and moors. The soils are composed of sand with gravel and red clay. The plots were harvested on October 5, 2018, manually, in 15 kg boxes. These were received through a double selection table, of bunches and grapes. It fermented and macerated in a small tank at controlled temperature for 26 days with daily manual pumping over and beating. Aged for 21 months in 225 L French oak Bordeaux barrels.

Tomas Postigo has made with his name in Ribera del Duero mainly as the ex winemaker of Pago De Carraovejas. Tempranillo (Tinta Fina) 85%, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot, and aged for 12 months in new French oak is a very high quality wine. Big dark prune like fruit with a real meat edge this is a blockbuster of a wine.

The deep crimson-coloured 2006 Quinta Sardonia gives up an aromatic array of cedar, Asian spices, incense, and blackberry. Savoury and supple on the palate, it has enough underlying structure to evolve for 2-3 years and should be at its best from 2012 to 2026.

In his Ribera Del Duero 2022 Special Report, Tim Atkin MW tasted his way through 578 wines from 160 producers and chose the 2020 Mirum as his top wine of the year, awarding it with 98 points. That rates it as high as Pingus & Unico at a fraction of the price. No small feat for this estate which is rocketing into the echelons of Spanish wine.