Vizcarra Ribera del Duero Roble 2019

90 pts Wine Advocate / 92 pts Penin Guide

Sale $19.99 - Beats Best US Price by $2
Buy 3 or more and pay $17.99
Buy six or More Pay $16.49

And a blast from the past... from our old pal Schmitty who now works for the importer! "Juan Carlos Vizcarra is very proud of his completely gravity-fed winery in Ribera del Duero... he showed off the crane mechanism that dangles the grape vats over the fermentation tanks like a little kid at Christmas... laughing maniacally as he zoomed it around his tiny little winery, asking us if we wanted to give it a try (I demurred, with visions of damaging a multi-million dollar piece of equipment in my head)."

So... neat trick... so what? So, allowing gravity to move the wine from fermenter to tank to barrel to bottle means no pumps, no mechanical interference - nothing to unnecessarily agitate the delicate fruit and extract excess skin or seed tannins. The result is an intensely aromatic, pure expression of Tempranillo that showcases the incredible concentration that Juan Carlos gets from his grapes. Organic viticulture, vigorous thinning of grape clusters, high diurnal temperature fluctuation... yeah, this is heady stuff... let's get onto the wine!

100% Tempranillo. Aromas of violets, blueberries, plums, and Chinese Five Spice explode from the glass, saturating your senses and lulling you into a deep calm. Breath in... breath out... breath in... and in... and in... aahhhh... Oh right... the wine... take a sip. Go ahead. The water's warm...

Lush and loaded with fruit, the first sip delivers what the nose promises - power and finesse, intensity and elegance. Blackberry and blueberry conserve are jazzed up by juicy acidity. On the finish, the lilting flavors of violets, smoke, and spicy mineral all lift the wine, making it an incredible match for food. Pork and lamb, especially grilled or roasted, are ideal pairings for this wine, but beef, from steaks and roasts to more casual burgers, also works very well. If you like spices, this wine has the “stuffing” to stand up to Cajun or Midwestern BBQ and pulled pork, and it will go well with Greek gyros, Cuban ropa vieja and dishes with Mediterranean spices.

"The soft and creamy 2019 Senda Del Oro has ripe fruit and some herbs and a good balance between fruit and oak. It's medium-bodied, juicy and ripe without excess, with fine tannins and a soft mouthfeel. It matured in barrel for six months. " WA

 Available Wednesday in both stores.