Club Vinissimus Selection March 2022

Ribera del Duero 2019, an excellent vintage

The 2019 vintage in Ribera del Duero was rated as excellent by a varied panel of expert wine tasters. Interestingly, it was also the first time that such a tasting event was carried out online as the pandemic-related restrictions meant it was not possible to meet up in person. Seventeen different wines, chosen by the appellation's technical board as being representative of Ribera del Duero, were rated. The tasters carried out a careful analysis of the qualities of each wine as well as their potential for being kept for laying down.

The 2019 crop was collected at the usual time of year and with no unusual factors. The total harvest of 94.4 million kilos of grapes was a slightly lower figure than the average one. The grapes had an exceptional quality and it soon became clear that they would create not just splendid young wines but age well to make excellent crianza wines too.

The grape musts were notable for their intense and varied range of wonderful colours. The first wines fermented offered direct and honest aromas and a fascinating taste of fresh fruit. The personality of the 2019 Ribera wines displayed more of an Atlantic side to them than in other years with an increased acidity perfectly balancing the more seductive sensations of ripe fruit.

The aged crianza wines have evolved wonderfully, evoking the great wines for laying down from the last century. They have a notable concentration, yet are also silky wines thanks to their velvety tannins. Deep in colour with delightful fragrances of fruits of the forest, the crianza wines from this vintage also show a perfectly integrated wood and well-structured body. To sum up, they are not only ideal wines for drinking immediately but also offer a very promising future.