Arrocal, Ribera del Duero DO (Castilla y León, Spain) Tempranillo 2017

 Arrocal is among my favorite bodegas in Ribera del Duero, which is in turn among my favorite regions in the world — and arguably Spain’s best source for pure but powerful Tempranillo.  The great thing about the bodega is that the proprietors manage to make a line of five reds (plus a lovely Rosé) that are all quite differentiated in style and character, despite the fact that all are made from the same grape and from vineyards that are located near one another.  One might wonder how this can be accomplished, and the answer seems to be very careful growing, picking, winemaking and aging, as the different bottlings are all remarkably consistent in style across vintages, despite their distinctness from one another.  This Reserva is — as usual — a deeply satisfying wine of richness and power, but with no rough edges despite having been aged in 50% new oak.  Very deep color provides an accurate tip-off of what’s to come, and the bouquet is marked more by beautifully ripened fruit than wood, though notes of spice and light toast are very appealing.  The fruit profile is certainly ripe and the “feel” is rich, yet there’s also real freshness here, thanks to Ribera del Duero’s forgivingly cool nights.  These wines age slowly and beautifully (try the 2014 “Selección” if you can find it, which I purchased recently and is absolutely gorgeous and still improving), though they are also delicious immediately upon release.  What more could you ask for?