Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

Charles Fredy — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 17:52:30 GMT

This is a great feature. Thanks!

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

Lewis Edwards Jr. — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:26:07 GMT

I think I just answered my own question. I took that sentence far too literal.

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

Lewis Edwards Jr. — Thu, 09 May 2013 03:13:47 GMT

Matt, fantastic article. I have 2 questions about the Aalto section’s statement "made in the vineyard—other people’s vineyards, as the Aalto estate espalier vines are too young".

1) Is the entire vineyard planted espalier? I could not find anything on line.

2) If the winery was started in 1998, how old do their own vineyards need to be to make wine? To most a 15 year old vine is mature but maybe not in Ribera del Duero.

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

Admin User — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:00:31 GMT

Thomas,

Thanks. The Valduero stuff is great....I have to hand it to Yoon Ha for introducing me to the property!

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

Pamela Heiligenthal — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 01:07:49 GMT

Thanks Matt, I'll send you an email when I firm up my dates!

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

Thomas Price — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 23:54:03 GMT

Matt, fantastic stuff as always!

I gotta find Valduero in our market, sounds right up my alley....

Love the point on the Aalto visit about oak percentages, I feel the same way about varietal components anywhere when 79%, 9%, 7% and 5% type of breakdowns come out to play...Atauta has been one of my faves for a long time too..

Very cool!

Thanks

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

Anthony Mueller — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 03:26:42 GMT

I concur! Viva Espana!

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

Admin User — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 02:52:08 GMT

Pamela, I'm happy to send a note to Puri for you if you like. Send me a note at matt@guildsomm.com .... but Valduero is really not to be missed. Highly recommended!

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

Pamela Heiligenthal — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 02:13:06 GMT

Awesome article Master Stamp! I’m heading to Ribera soon and hope to visit Vega Sicilia. Since I don’t have the MS behind my name, I’ll rely on humble persistence per Anthony’s reco!! I would love to try the Valbuena and Único. Sounds like you had a kick butt trip.

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

Anthony Mueller — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:07:59 GMT

Master Stamp,

You nkow what they say, "The squeeky wheel gets the grease"! I think for Vega Scilia you have to persistant and humble. We met Puri, as she was our tour guide that day. It's really funny because my girlfriend and I just flew to San francisco for the Wine Spectator's Grand Tour Tasting and she was there pouring the Alion. She is great. I asked her the same question on Wednesday's Tasting and she told me that "yes, the Unico gets both new French & American oak and then is blended together before bottling" Puri will be in Vegas this weekend pouring for the Vegas Grand Tour.

At the grand tour tasting it was a little disappointing to see a huge line to taste Kosta Browne Pinot Noir and on the same isle was some amazing Spainish wines with n o one in line to taste them. There was no one in line to try: Bodegas Lan, Bodegas Muga, Bodegas Borsao, Bodegas Alto Moncayo, Bodegas El Nido, Bodegas Alion, Dominio de Atuata, Bodegas Cepa 21 & Emilio Moro, yet a line of 20+ people thieving to get a taste of Kosta Browne Pinot.... Yeahhhhhh......

It was cool to see all the Spanish wines tasting so well. Lauren Gil of Gil Family Estates was there pouring his El Nido. It was like our our Spain trip was happening all over again! We saw Puri and Lauren again and they remembered us. Woo-Hoo!

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

Admin User — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 16:40:24 GMT

Anthony,

Glad you got in! I know some MSs who haven't been able to get an appt. there. I think my above synopsis of the oak aging regimen is correct.

My question to Puri, Vega Sicilia's export manager: "Sorry, just to be clear: You use your American barrels when they are brand new for Unico, but you leave the wine in them for an extra year than you would with the Saury or Radoux French barrels? A fellow sommelier asked and I wanted to be able to give a precise answer."

Puri: "Correct, we age the wines longer in American oak, some lots of Unico spend over 2 years in oak barrels, while the lots in French oak is maximum a year as after we sale them."

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

Anthony Mueller — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 04:23:49 GMT

Master Stamp, I was at Vega Scilia in September of '12 and I thought they said the Unico goes in the large French Barriques first and then is transferred to the new American Oak barrels (which are made by a 3rd generation cooper, onsite) and then is blended together. Unico sees both new French oak and American oak. Another cool thing they told me is since they have their own cooper and make their own barrels, they date their barrels for what year they will first be used. We got to take home a block of oak with the words "Vega-Scilia 2013" branded into it. Ohhhh, and if anyone reading the first sentence of the second paragraph about Vega-Scilia was true, that is absolutely true. The gate guards are a little intimidating, even for a guy who is 6'2" / 250. Viva Espana!

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

William Davis — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 02:56:41 GMT

Matt, many thanks for the clarification!

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

Admin User — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:07:26 GMT

William, OK, the American oak is used immediately for Unico, but they typically leave the wines in it for 2 years, whereas the wine aging in small French oak may be in the barrel for a year less.

RE: Ribera del Duero: Six Profiles

Admin User — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 21:32:17 GMT

David,

Thanks for the note. We are committed to doing future events in DC, but to be honest, we've had a little difficulty getting DC members excited about events we've had there in the past, and haven't had as much attendance in your city as we would like. We struggled to get a dozen members to attend Fred Dex's Chile tasting last week in DC.

We did our last 2012 Masterclass series (Australia) in DC--I know you bought a ticket, and I appreciate it. I have Masterclasses on Madeira and Germany coming to your town later in 2013. If you can get your community excited and out in support, I can promise you'll see more events in the future!