Ribera del Duero
Cillar de Silos Torresilo 2006
These 2006 wines for Cillar de Silos are looking quite smart. I’d rate this on par with the 05, which was very impressive in my book. If you don’t have any of this in your cellar and you’re a fan of Ribera del Duero you could do a lot worse than a couple of bottle of this in the cellar. A trio of Alion, Pesquera and this would be a very interesting look at modern style Ribera del Duero in 10 years…
Classic, classy Ribera del Duero on the nose: a raft of savoury fruits such as dark cherry, mulberry and a little plum with wet clay and mountain herbs, pepper. There are some toasty oak notes and mocha in the background as well. It’s quietly bold in the mouth, intense fruit flavours with well formed tannins and plenty of structure to improve in the cellar. The fruit on the palate mirrors the nose but adds some cola, a mocha espresso, and earthy spice. the oak is a little obvious at the moment, however it is framing the fruit rather than smothering it. i am sure this will integrate over the short term. The finish is long and shows earthy minerals. The problem with this wine is that it drinks great now, but if you can keep you hands off it you will be rewarded with greater complexity in a couple of years. It will drink well for at least a decade. 95 Pts.
Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $120 Closure: Conventional Cork
Web: www.cillardesilos.es
Cillar de Silos Crianza 2006
Cillar de Silos is an old favourite, and this 2006 is showing very well. It was a challenging vintage, but the guys here seem to have to made all the right decicions and have producded something well worth drinking and cellaring over the medium term.
A beautiful nose of currants, blueberries and blackberry with woodsmoke and gamey, herby undergrowth notes. Very smooth and supple in the mouth, plenty of fleshy tannins that lend texture and body. Its a touch flabby in the middle, but the acid cleans that up on the finish. Fresh juicy, fruit: blackcurrant and blackberry with a twist of vanilla and a lick of sarsaparilla. Blackberry and minerals on the long finish. 91 Pts.
Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $55 Closure: Conventional Cork
Web: www.cillardesilos.es
Pesquera Crianza 2005
Pesqurea has to be one of the most well know producers in Ribera del Duero and introduced many people to the style of wine from the regions. For sure, the juicy, juby fruit that characterises Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero is a long way from daggy oak treatment and the 100 rackings that old school Rioja has as its trademark. I wouldn’t really call this a modern wine these days, but even so even there the fruit shines through and the oak treatment is reasonable.
A classic Pesquera nose of blackberry, blackcurrant, dark cherry with a clay/earth note, violets, some herby undergrowth and a touch of iodine. The usual gamy notes and a bit of cow shed are there too. Smooth in the mouth, but focused and purposeful. The tannins take a while to appear, but when they do they add some texture and a bit of grittiness that is most welcome. More black currant and cherry pie on the palate with a bit of blueberry, a bit of pepper and star anise. This is showing well at the moment, but will fill out over the next 5 years and drink well for 10 after that. 93+ Pts.
Source: Boccaccio Cellars RRP: $48 Closure: Conventional Cork
Bodegas Finca Vaqueros I’Corus Condado 2003
This wine is a bit older and gets a couple of extra months in American oak than its younger brother, Quinta, and its all the better for it. Again, its a fairly savoury and rustic wine with some amazing acid and balance.
A bit of VA on opening that blows off, then its into the good stuff: musky black current, dark cherry, and a touch of blueberry with some thyme, sage and barnyard. Great mouth feel and balance, with some minerally acid that really drives. Fine but firm tannins. A savory and juicy palate that mirrors the nose. This is more about the structure, but the fruit is great too. I could drink a lot of this. 91 Pts.
Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $25 Closure: Conventional Cork
Protos Roble 2005
Wines labeled as Roble are usually a young wine that spends less than 6 months in oak. It can be a bit hit and miss as if they use all new oak, the wine soaks up all the oak flavour but doesn't get the small amount of oxygen contact that oak barrels allow. This one from Protos has been done very well, the oak is a passenger on this ride, the fruit is doing the driving.
A clean fruity nose of cherry and plum, with a touch of raspberry followed by some vanilla and herbs. Really nice fruit here: sappy plums, dark cherry and black current with Christmas cake spices and earthy/gamey animal notes in the mouth . Some chocolate joins the party as the wine gets more air. Very clean and driven by some quality acid that leaves your mouth fresh and ready for more. Some fluffy tannins on the finish round it out. This would be a killer by the glass in a bar. 90 Pts.
Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $30 Closure: Conventional Cork
Protos Crianza 2003
So, continuing down the line from Protos is this Crianza. It's a fairly classic crianza: fermented in stainless steel vats followed up by 12 months in American oak, then a year in bottle. Again, its a fairly traditional wine: you won't find a big, highly extracted thing here. Its all about the savoury fruit, good oak treatment, texture and balance. Don't worry that this is from the hot 2003 vintage, I couldn't find any baked or heat associated characters here.
A smokey, earthy nose with some nice mulberry and dark cherry fruit and a dollop of barnyard. A touch of caramel oak completes the picture. Very smooth and textured in the mouth, the soft fruit tannins and expansive mouthfeel are cleaned up by a charge of acid towards the end. Pure cherry and mulberry with some minerals and sage leaves on the palate. The finish is long and shows an iron rich earth kind of character. Ready to go now, but could do 8-10 years of hard time in a dark place. 91 Pts.
Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $55 Closure: Conventional Cork
Protos Reserva 2001
This is the first of three wines I have from this producer, and I though why not start at the top. Protos is a fairly traditional producer, they do use a bit of french oak but otherwise the wines come across as classic old school Ribera del Duero. They are one of the oldest bodegas around and hold 400 hectares of vines in the valley, at the same time buying in 50% of their grapes from 274 growers. Its all kind of mindboggling big. And usually you'd think that would affect quality, but all three wines are of a very high standard.
A bit of wood influence apears on the nose first, some nutmeg and creamy mocha followed up by some blackcurrent, mulberry and dark cherry with a touch of rosemary, thyme and a little barnyard. In the mouth it's medium boddied and shows nice and clean with lush tannins and a moderately long finish. Juicy fruit on the palate: more earthy blackcurrent with some plum and minerals. Really well done and if you're into the traditional stuff you're in for a treat. 92 Pts.
Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $90 Closure: Conventional Cork
Flor de Pingus 2005
Ahhh back in Ribera del Duero. I haven't had a bottle of wine from this region for ages it seems. Don't get me wrong, I love the wines from all the other regions, but Ribera del Duero just seems to push a few extra buttons. Its the fruit profile, the texture, the tannins give and the overall structure that sucks me in. And when its a wine of this calibre it bloody well should. Unfortunately, you'll probably struggle to find a bottle of it, it sells out in minutes.
I know I keep going on about it, but again the 05 looks more balanced to me. I'd love to see them both in 10 years, but alas I have none in the cellar. I'll have to scour the wine auctions in a couple of years.
Classic modern Ribera nose earthy, smokey mulberry, blackberry, blackcurrant with an added touch of plum. A few shakes of sage, a slurp of cola and a shot of espresso and anise. You need to time this right if you're going to see anything, it shuts up shop after a couple of hours in the decanter. Almost medium bodied with some raspy tannins until it builds with more air. The tannins open up soft and silky giving the wine a velvet mouthfeel. The acid keeps the structure in the mouth and its all too easy to drink. It shows great intensity in the mouth, juicy mulberry, black current and blueberry with minerally sarsaparilla and spice. An uber long finish, which is great because I don't want it to end. But after a good performance for a couple of hours, the shows over. So drink now if you want to see what all the fuss is about, but I'd give it 5 year in the cellar to sort it self out, then drink over the following 15. 96+ Pts.
Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $125 Closure: Conventional Cork
Bodegas y Vinedos Alion 1996
I've been doing a bit of long overdue painting and removing an old picture rail around the house over the past couple of weeks. For some reason, a previous owner had painted some of the walls a horrible pink salmon colour, complete with sponge work. When we bought the place it was the first thing that was going. 5 years later, I'm just getting around to it. I had to move my wine fridge out of the way and in the process found this bottle that I don't remember buying. Bonus.
Deep purple in colour with ruby towards the edge, looks like a young wine. Its open fairly much straight away with a complex nose of earthy mulberry and dark cherry, chocolate, a bit of old leather, spice and aniseed. Its pure silk in the mouth with everything in balance. Full flavoured with black current, mulberry and cherry, a lick of aniseed, cola and white pepper. A long finish showing some minerals. From this bottle I'd say that the 96 is finally start to gain some complexity and open up a bit. But it has years ahead of it. I didn't see anything that looks like brett or reduction on this outing. 94+ Pts.
Source: Cellar Cost: N/A Closure: Conventional Cork
Web: www.bodegasalion.com
Cillar de Silos Torresilo 2005
It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago, so I gave this a quick splash in the decanter and went out for dinner in Carlton. We stopped in at Gerald's Bar for a few refreshing beverages after dinner, its my kind of place. Its kind of like a quiet spot for classy booze hounds, that isn't really quiet. The guys and girls behind the bar know their stuff and their is always something interesting on the by the glass list as they just use the first 6 wines ordered that night to make up the list.
Anyway on to the wine. If you have a look on the Cillar de Silos website they give a little commentary on the vintage conditions for each of their wines, 2005 sounds like a hard year that turned out well. A very cold spring (a top 7 degrees to a low of -9), an unusally hot April which kick off bud swelling a bit earlier than normal, then no rain which put bud burst back a bit. And it goes on. Ribera del Duero can be a buggar of a place to grow grapes, but well worth the end product.
Deep purple moving to ruby at the edge. A quick wiff of the glass and I know I'm in for a treat: savoury mulberry and cherry, mocha coffee, clay and pepper. In the mouth its bold and subtle at the same time, plenty of dusty tannins with a good acid backbone. Savory with perfectly ripe fruit and great balance. On the palate its all about the ripe fruit: mulberry and cherry with a touch of plum. This is joined by some cola, a shake of chocolate, spice and earthy minerals all wrapped up in some high quality oak that just shows enough to know its there. Great drinking now with a decant, I'd leave it in the cellar for 5 years and drink over the following 10. 95 Pts.
Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $120 Closure: Conventional Cork
Web: www.cillardesilos.es
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