Red Still Wine | Spain | Ribera del Duero | 75cl
£159.95
ABV: 14.5%
Size: 75cl
Closure Type: Cork
Country: Spain
Region: Ribera del Duero
Wine Style: Full Bodied
Grape: Tempranillo
THE WINE ADVOCATE 96
Drink Date: 2016 - 2025 - '.....2010 seems to have the exuberance of the 2011 and the seriousness and elegance of 2009. It has the Burgundian philosophy of terroir, with all plots fermented and aged separately, giving each vineyard what it needs in terms of vinification and elevage resulting in something like 40 separate lots to blend. This wine has gained in precision and sharpness, and is very pure with delineated aromas and flavors. It is a world-class wine, possibly the best Valbuena ever.....'. - Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez
JAMES SUCKLING 96 *****
The oak makes plenty of impact on the nose with some tarry notes across ripe-blue-plum, cassis and chocolate aromas. Tannins are assertive. An essay in tannin structure and power, this has balance with impressive core strength. Flavors are in the purple-cherry, cassis and blackberry zone. Needs time. Great wine. Best from 2020.
VINOUS 95
Drinking window: 2025 - 2040 - Opaque ruby. Powerful, deeply pitched red and dark berry preserve, incense and floral pastille scents are enlivened by an intense mineral quality. Concentrated yet strikingly vibrant and focused on the palate, showing bitter cherry, black raspberry and vanilla flavors that spread out with air while maintaining urgency. An extremely long, sweet, penetrating finish features velvety, harmonious tannins that provide gentle grip to the wine's sappy berry fruit and candied lavender qualities. This stunning wine was aged for 18 months in new oak, half of it American and half of it French. I can't recall a better version of this bottling at this stage of its development and I hesitate to apply an arbitrary drinking window here as I'm sure that it will outlive me. - Josh Raynolds. Tasting date: October 2015
