Meet the producer: Penafiel, Ribera del Duero, Spain

Second tasting of Penafiel wines for the Roving Somm, see my previous notes here on this blog. This second lineup is even more impressive than the first, and it is once more led by the exceptional Silencio de Miros. 

Thank you to Onvinum for making the introduction on the occasion of the online wine fair of February 2024.

See tasting notes below.

Alba de Miros 2022

Albarino 100%. A fresh breath of Spring in this wine that offers floral notes and pineapple in the nose and a balanced and moderately complex palate. Good length. I happily paired it with steamed mussels. A wine with no pretensions that stands up very well in its category. Score 88

Miros de Ribera Reserva 2019

Tempranillo 100%

I would call this an upper middle class typical tempranillo with full elegant body, round structure. This 2019 is ready but will still evolve for a few years. I paired it with baked lam. Watch the alcohol content, it is a strong wine indeed!

Score 90

Miros Roble 2022

Complex aromas of red fruits. A powerful expression of the tempranillo variety. Hard sensations prevail, probably needs some smoothening in the bottle for another couple of years.

Score 88

La Casa de las Locas 2022

Albariño 100%

This was an amazing albariño, intense nose, powerful structure, with complex floral notes and good length. I am used to think of this grape as a relatively easy one, but this wine challenged this taster to focus his full attention to discover its many nuances.

Score 93

Silencio de Miros 2019 

Top of the line Penafiel , this harmonious Silencio de Miros 2019. tempranillo 100% from their most prized parcel of land at 1000 meters above sea level. Nine months in French oak, this 15.5%abv comes in a beautiful wooden box.

A perfectly balanced wine with ripe red fruits that dance along with smooth tannins in a complex swirling of nuanced sensations.

I dared to pair it with slightly spicy red mullet and olives and it works out magnificently, another example where red wine does indeed go very well indeed with fish.

Score 96

Meeting the Producer: Valdecuevas and Finca Rodma

Twin companies presented at Onvinum 2022, May edition.

Valdecuevas and Finca Rodma belong to the same Castilian holding company but retain their separate personalities and styles.

Verdejo 2021 valdecuevas
Fresh citrussy, almond, touch of vanilla
med length and complexity
Score 85

Verdejo valdecuevas 2020.
An easy Summer wine fresh and aromatic. A delicate structure and mod length. Well paired with frogs and lettuce stirred with lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. 

Score 84

Valdecuevas fermented in Barrels 2020

More complex than the previous wine, and more structured. Paired with slightly spicy sea bass in the pan with spring onions.

Score 87

Finca Rodma Selection 2019

Hand picked grapes from their best plots. Evolved for 12 months in American and French oak. 

A powerful wine, exuding complex red fruit aromas with round tannins and good length.

Score 93

Walk-around tasting on Ribera del Duero with Tim Atkin MW

Thank you Tim Atkin

Amazing tasting of Ribera del Duero, mostly tempranillo. 100 wines selected by Tim Atkin MW from over 500 he tasted in recent months. The level of quality was extremely high, both for celebrated (and expensive) bottles as well as for many not so expensive gems.

This is a partial list of the bottles that impressed me the most.

1. Gran Arzuaga, Bodegas de Navarro, Gran Reserva 2015

98% tempranillo, 2% albillo

Exceptionally intense in the nose, perfect balance and very long.

RRP 138 euro, Score 98

2. Perez Pascuas Gran Reserva 2016

100% tempranillo. Intriguing violet color in the glass, intenso nose and powerful palate, slight feel of alcohol I think this wine is mature now.

RRP 240 euro, Score 92

3. Oydor Conde de San Cristobal, 2018

Amazingly powerful fruit, perfect balance and impressive length. A harmonious wine.

RRP 200 euro, score 98

4. Dominio de Atauta, wines

Four amazing wines from this producer, hard to choose, scores 97 to 99.

In my view these wines are close to perfection: all display intensity, balance, complexity and length. They are all harmonious products which are ready now but could age another few years, though I am not sure they could improve further. Here they are:

La Roza 2016, RRP 2230 euro

LLanos del Almendro 2016, RRP 115 euro

Valdegatilles 2016, RRP 116 euro

La Mala 2016, perhaps the best of all four, RRP 116

5. Grupo Yllera, Vivaltus 2018

Another exceptionally balanced product.

RRP 120 euro, score 98

6. Pesus selección de Pedro y Jesus 2015

A velvety wine with a strong personality, it is repetitive but today here is another perfectly balanced and complex wine, long, harmonious. 

RRP 240 euro, score 98

7. Vega Sicilia, Unico reserva especial NV (released in 2022)

tempranillo 95%, cabernet sauvignon 5%

The perfect wine, it's got everything, do not miss it if you can find a bottle and can afford it. Words are missing to describe the multitude of sensations and pleasure that come out of this bottle.

RRP 350, Score 100

Only one very small step lower is the Unico 2012, RRP 300 euro, score 98.

Meet the producer: Peñafiel, Ribera del Duero, Spain

Bodega Peñafiel

On 30th April I had a chance to go through a tasting of a range of wines from this vineyard on the Duero, in Spain.

I was guided through several bottles by export manager Raúl Blanco whom I would like to thank for his availability.

Many thanks to Myonlinefair for organizing this tasting very efficiently.

Bodegas Peñafiel

Avenida Valladolid Soria, km 311, 47300 Peñafiel, Valladolid, Spain

Alba de miros 2019
Their top white, 100pc verdejo.

Two months on lees release a pleasant fragrance.
A fruity attack and moderate body and length.

I paired with with a filet of Atlantic haddock in soya sauce with steamed broccoli.

Score 88

rrp 10euro

For the following two wines I decided to try an unusual pairing, with chicken soup with Chinese spices and lettuce. The astringency of the wines' tannins contrasts very well with the liquid soup.

Miros de ribeira 2017
tempranillo 100pc, made from the best grapes of this variety.
The wine is left to evolve for 8 months in French oak barrels, then another 12 months in the bottle.
Score 93
rrp 18 euro

El prenda 2017
80% tempranillo and 20% granacha
12 months in oak
score 82
rrp 8 euro

Other wines tasted today.

Alma serena 2020
tempranillo 100pc
3-4 months in oak give a pleasant roundness, moderate length and complexity.
score 86
rrp 10 euro

El importante 2016
100pc garnacha
12 months american oak followed by 12 months in bottle
These grapes come from old vines that are 50-year-old
This wine is in the upper range of products already. It can age another few years but it is ready now.
Score 90
rrp 16 euro
 

Silencio de Miros, 2015

Single vineyard at 1000 meter altitude above seal level.
100% tempranillo
Acidity is strong but it is expected to smoothen out with time.

A top-level Duero with a personality to challenge the most difficult palate.

This wine has been particularly successful in the Chinese market, where it quickly sold out after it was recognized as the best Spanish wine. 
Score 95
rrp 48

the cellar

Peñafiel red lineup