Vizcarra Ribera del Duero 2020
| Article number: | WW-000670 |
| Availability: | In stock |
Region: Ribera del Duero
Grape Variety: 100% Tempranillo
I visited JC Vizcarra at his home and winery in 2007 during my first trip to Spain. At the time he was riding high after being named Top Winemaker in Spain earlier that year. Part of the tour included walking through the unfinished modern winery that he was building adjacent to the family home. We also visited his father’s winery, a bare bones facility designed for basic wine production. After visiting both we then took a short walk and went down into the wine cave of his grandfather, still filled with empty glass demijohns that were the vessels in which the wines of the region were sold more than 50 years ago. The contrast between the three facilities was striking and I only wish we could have tasted Juan-Carlos’ grandfathers’ wine for comparison.
In 1995 Juan Carlos was the first in his family to begin bottling wine exclusively from their 55 acre estate. He continues the tradition of his father by not using chemicals in the vineyard although they are not certified for their organic practices. Winemaking emphasizes the intensity of their old vines, some more than 80 years, with this being their flagship bottling.
Like all young Ribera del Duero this wine is big, dense, chewy stuff. There is a big mouthful of crushed summer berry fruit, framed by dusty, cocoa powder tinged tannins and a subtle salty quality. Drink 2025-2035 with hearty meals, perfect for this cold weather!