MIPTC #34 - Torres Celeste Ribera Del Duero Crianza

It's (almost) grill season, y'all! I'm so happy I could cry (and might if I overcook any more tomahawk steaks - but that's a story for another day)

I FINALLY did it and took the grill out of its winter shelter last week! As a Canadian, this comes as a bit of a ritual meant to savor the next 5 weeks or so of summer (*cries*) we might be getting, so we take the stuff seriously: high-quality grass-fed meats, seared veggies, and wines cut out for the BBQ.

Now, if you're looking for a wine region that'll always deliver the goods when you're looking to grill it up, you don't need to go any further than Ribera del Duero in Spain. This picturesque region, located in the heart of the province of Castile and Leon, is known for its bold and complex red wines made exclusively Tempranillo, one of (if not the) Spanish superstar varietals.

I know, I know: you probably either snob or love Spanish wines for their attractive prices. I get it. Riberas also normally sell at a premium compared to your regular stuff, so you may be wondering what sets the region apart. It's a worthwhile question!

Well, for starters, the region has a long and rich winemaking history dating back to the Roman era. The area's unique climate and turhwaaaaar, with its high altitude, rocky soils, and extreme temperature shifts between day and night, make for grapes with exceptional concentration and depth of flavor.

*You may not know this, but those temperature shifts us wine geeks call diurnal range (yes, we don't have many friends) account for a solid portion of flavor concentration in wines, namely because it helps the wine soak in as much sun as possible without getting too hot, which would lead it to rot. This is the special ingredient behind the greatness of wine regions like Napa Valley, Burgundy and Piemonte, among many others.*

In terms of taste, Ribera del Duero wines are often described as bold, full-bodied, and intense, with flavors of dark fruit, spices, and earthy undertones. These wines also tend to have a long and lingering finish, thanks to their high tannin and acidity content. Another shorthand here. whenever you hear "high tannin content", you need to think two things: first, this will deserve something flavorful and fatty not to be bulldozed by the wine, and second, this is likely to make a wine worth cellaring a few years, since tannins tend to mellow with age while preserving the complexity of the wine.

In fact, one of the most notable features of Ribera del Duero wines is their aging potential. Many of these wines are aged in oak barrels for several years before release, resulting in wines that can be enjoyed young but also have the potential to age beautifully for decades.

So yeah, that's it for the primer. Now on to the tasting part! What are we having today?

The Skinny

• From: Ribera Del Duero, Spain

• Varietals: Tempranillo 100%

• Price: $23,75 CAD

• Feature: None

Tasting Notes

On the nose, this is heavy stuff but with a lovely floral undertone of rose and violets. There's also a nearly dominating note of toasted oak that shows this wasn't meant to play around. There's plenty of dark, dark fruits there, as well as some smoked/cured meats undertones. This is a bit stereotypical of the moar MOAR MOAR! style we often see in Spain - not bad at all and well done, but just a little predictable.

Cutting To The Chase: Does It Please The Cork?

Cork Score: 3/5*

***

*Here's the lowdown on the scores, by the way. Essentially, I don't believe in 100-point scales for things as subjective as wine. Simply put, I just don't think one can credibly justify a 1% or even a 10% increment between two wines. I therefore choose to go a bit more basic. Here's how I break it down:

• 1/5: Seriously faulty, terrible, undrinkable;

• 2/5: Flawed and/or of bad quality. This is the type of stuff you should probably cook with and not drink;

• 3/5: Decent. This is where most entries will end up. These wines are clean and well-balanced, but not particularly memorable and/or exceptional. They are recommendable, but not an experience per se;

• 4/5: Exceptional. I sadly drink few wines that get this rating, but my purpose is to drink more. This denotes a memorable bottle that brought up some kind of emotion in me. This left a mark, and odds are I am now busy recommending it to everybody I know;

• 5/5: Perfect. I think I have probably tasted less than 5 bottles that would have qualified for a 5/5 in my entire life. This denotes an absolutely incredible wine that will imprint a definite memory for years to come - a true experience in itself.