From: Ribera del Duero, Spain
Varietal: Tempranillo
Taste: Rich and juicy, this red delivers ripe plum and blackcurrant flavors backed by licorice, espresso and leafy notes. A refreshing core of acidity (it’s the thing that’ll make your mouth salivate) balances all that lush fruit and underlying structure held together with silky tannins. You’ll pick up a touch of cracked pepper on the nose in addition to a hint of toasted vanilla and caramel; those flavors emerge from the eight months spent in French and American oak. This 2020 Ribera del Duero Roble is an excellent example of everything you’d want this wine to be: complex, rich, and so smooth.
Pairing: Rich and full-bodied, the spice, dark fruit and smoky flavors in Ribera del Duero wines pair well with roasted and grilled meats, Mexican food and tomato-based sauces. On that note, we’re sharing a recipe for Birria de Res, original recipe from Josef Centeno and adapted by Tejal Rao.
About.
This wine comes from the Ribera Del Duero in Spain; Ribera del Duero is located in northern Spain’s Castilla y León region, just a 2-hour drive from Madrid. While winemaking in this area goes back more than 2000 years, it was in the 1980s that 9 wineries applied for and were granted Denominación de Origen (D.O.) status. Today, more than 300 wineries call Ribera del Duero home, including some of Spain’s most iconic names.
Ribera’s main grape variety, Tempranillo, locally know as Tinto Fino, is perfectly suited to the extreme climate of the region, where it must survive scorching summers and frigid winters. Low yields resulting from conscientious tending to old vines planted in Ribera’s diverse soils types, give Ribera wines a distinctive depth and complexity not found in other Tempranillos. Rich and full-bodied, the spice, dark fruit and smoky flavors in a bold Ribera del Duero will pair well with roasted and grilled meats, Mexican food and tomato-based sauces.
The 2017 Diaz Bao Ribera Del Duero Roble is made of 100% Tempranillo from a 30-year-old clay and limestone parcel at 840 meters elevation. It is aged for six months in used French oak and six months in bottle prior to release, bright red fruit is backed by ample palate richness, finishing mineral and long.
For more than ten generations, the Díaz Bayo family have dedicated themselves to the cultivation of vines and wine production in the Ribera del Duero. Until about 40 years ago, winemaking was undertaken in 'lagares', a traditional stone press, where the grapes were deposited for pressing. The resulting must would then be deposited in wood barrels located in the subterranean cellar, where constant temperatures allow the wine to develop its distinct, regional character.
