Ribera del Duero

Rising from the ashes of Spanish wine, Ribera del Duero holds a relatively young history in the wine world, only becoming a DO (Denomination of Origin) in 1982 thanks to giants Vega Sicilia and a spectacular Robert Parker review. At the time, only 9 producers existed in the region, however, that number has shot up to almost 300 in the modern day. As Ribera del Duero rises in prominence, an increasing number of local winemakers are honing in on the region's extreme temperature swings, mountainous soils, and young vines to create some of the world's finest Tempranillo. 

The History Behind Ribera Del Duero Wine

Set at 2,000 square feet above sea level in northern Spain, winemaking in Ribera del Duero dates back as early as the 4th century, when the Romans controlled the territory. In 1972, a large mosaic of Bacchus, the Roman god of wine, was discovered, confirming archaeologists' beliefs. From this period until the 12th century, much is unknown of the region's winemaking history. It was in the 12th century that the Catholic church controlled much of Ribera's wineries and monks farmed the land, remaining under these operations until the 1800s.

In 1864, Eloy Lecanda y Chaves established Vega Sicilia, officially marking the region's modern winemaking history. Quickly becoming the top producer in Ribera del Duero and all of Spain, the powerhouse estate remained unchallenged for over a century, being served at functions held by the royal family and gaining an excellent reputation outside of the country. Then, in 1982, now-legendary winemaker Alejandro Fernandez released his vintage for Tinto Pesquera, catching the attention of Robert Parker. The famed critic called the wine "Spanish Petrus," sparking a revolution in the region. At the time, only 9 wineries existed throughout the vast, mountainous region, however, that number soon exploded, and similarly came a DO classification. 

Ribera del Duero Wine Region Characteristics

Ribera del Duero is set in Castilla y León, a northern Spanish region, and cuts through four provinces: Burgos, Segovia, Soria, and Valladolid. Surrounded by the Cantabrian Mountains and the Montes de León, the region is marked by a continental climate, receiving extreme temperature swings throughout each season. Summer months are marked by dry, hot spells while wintertime sees below-freezing temperatures and intense frosts. Only 15-20 inches of rain is received each year, causing the vines to struggle and produce low yields and bold wines. Because of the high elevation, bedrock is covered by a deposit of subsoils containing gypsum and chalk. Overall, there are 35 different soil types, though white limestone, marl, chalk, clay, and silt are most popular. Each soil type provides great retention of the small rainfall, giving the vines sufficient water.

Ribera del Duero Tempranillo

Tempranillo is far and away the dominant varietal in Ribera del Duero, representing 95% of the total planted vines across 55,000 hectares of planted land. Known by locals as Tinto Fino, tempranillo in the area is marked by smaller berries with thicker skins, darker color, and low acidity. Before the native grape was planted, large amounts of Bordeaux varietals were imported to the region, explaining the cabernet sauvignon, merlot, and malbec that occasionally make their way into the final blends of Ribera blends. Outside of these varietals, grenache and albillo are also grown, though in decidedly smaller proportions compared to tempranillo.

Per DO rules, Ribera del Duero wines must contain at least 75% Tempranillo, with the remaining 25% consisting of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, or malbec. Furthermore, if a wine does contain grenache or albillo, it can only contain a maximum of 5% from those two grapes in the final blend. 

Best Ribera del Duero Wines

Ribera del Duero is known for producing complex wines with incredible structure, power, and intensity that pop out at every sip. The region's winemakers often joke about creating the most tannic wines, or, as Decanter magazine describes it, "an alpha male fight over who can make the biggest." Each bottle is made with a heavily extracted oak style, perfect for long-term aging and complex dark fruit flavors and aromas. Low yields are produced of these bold wines, many coming from younger vines. About one-third of Ribera's planted vines are 45 years or older, while the rest have only been planted since 1991. Consequently, grapes are harvested at high levels of flavors, forcing winemakers to age their wines for longer periods than usual compared to other notable European winemakers.

The amount of aging time divides the classification of the final bottling, each being labeled as such:

• Joven/ Barrica - young wines with only 4 months in barrel (Joven are not aged at all)
• Crianza - wine aged for at least 24 months and a minimum of 12 months in oak barrels
• Reserva - wine aged for 36 months with at least 12 months in oak barrels 
• Gran Reserva - wine aged for at least 24 months in oak out of a total of 60 months of aging 

Ribera del Duero Wineries

In Ribera del Duero, one wine remains king — Vega Sicilia. The estate has been in production since the mid-1800s, dominating Spanish wine since its inception with the world-famous Unico label. Located in the basin of the Duero River, Vega Sicilia wines started as Bordeaux blends after founder Eloy Lecanda imported 18,000 grapes from the region. Eventually switching to Tinto Fino - a clone of tempranillo to avoid phylloxera - the estate burst into national success, quickly becoming known as "Spain's First Growth." Its flagship wine, Unico, is one of the world's rarest and most coveted fine wines. After undergoing an extraordinary 10-year aging process between barrel and bottle, the wine is finally released to the public, displaying a distinct, silky elegance not found in any other bottle across the globe. 

Rivalling Vega Sicilia's dominance is Tinto Pesquera, created by the outstanding Alejandro Fernandez. While Vega Sicilia remained unchallenged in Spanish wine for nearly a century, Fernandez's 1982 creation of Pesquera sparked the Ribera revolution. The bottle was labeled "Spanish Petrus" by Robert Parker, sparking consumers around the world to fight tooth and nail to try the mysterious bottle. 

The last of the trifecta located on Ribera's "golden mile" is Pingus, the most recent of the region's giants. Its first vintage, the 1995 bottle, made the estate an overnight success, quickly transforming from a 'garagiste' to Spain's most expensive wine. The bottle was initially showcased at showcase at the Bordeaux en primeur tastings in March 1996 and found its way into the hands of none other than Robert Parker. The critic scored the wine 96-100 points, and, by the end of the week, was featured on the back cover of The Wine Advocate. When speaking of the wine, the magazine stated: "In the price/quality sweepstakes, this might be Spain's finest wine."

Ribera del Duero vs. Rioja

Burgundy vs. Bordeaux, Napa vs Sonoma... regional rivalries seem to pop up in the wine world as critics and drinkers discern which is the 'best.' Of course, tastes can be subjective and, while there are no definitive truths on which is better, there are certainly key differences.

In the case of Rioja and Riber del Duero, each has cemented its status as the peak of Spanish winemaking. As the 'go-to' red wines for Spanish wine enthusiasts, each region produces wine of pristine quality from northern Spain, though the terroirs are quite different. While both regions are similar in their location in the country and the influence of a nearby river, Rioja contains a Mediterranean climate thanks to its protection by the mountains to the north, allowing grapes to mature gradually. Conversely, Ribera contains a strong continental climate, as its high altitude and intense temperature swings cause grapes to ripen quickly. Furthermore, both regions share tempranillo as the dominant varietal, though Rioja wines favor Bordeaux grapes in their blends while Ribera wines utilize Spanish varietals such as grenache and albillo. 

Lastly, when it comes to taste and aroma, Ribera wines are noted for a distinct elegance and sweet, red fruit compared to Ribera's strong concentration and dark fruit palate. As both of Spain's might regions have notable differences, the preference ultimately lies in the hands of the consumer.

Add Ribera del Duero to your Cellar

Commemorate one of Spain's top winemaking regions with a bottle from Vega Sicilia, Pingus, and other notable producers. These bottles will last for decades in your cellar or can be drunk young. The choice is yours — get your hands on a bottle today.