Tinto Pesquera, Ribera del Duero (Spain) 2014

 The wine from Tinto Pesquera, the Fernandez family’s flagship estate, brought critical acclaim to Alejandro Fernandez decades ago.  As much as I like the Crianza from their Condado de Haza estate, this Crianza is just, well, better.  It has all the alluring features of the one from Condado de Haza — dark fruitiness and minerality — but with more polish and a silky suaveness. Sometimes when wines are polished they lose character.  Not this one.  Its energy and personality come through.  It’s another wine that delivers far more than the price suggests.  Although it will undoubtedly gain more complexity with additional bottle age, it’s an excellent choice tonight with a grilled steak.