Arrocal, Ribera del Duero DO (Castilla y León, Spain) 2015

 Sourced from the Finca de Clara vineyard planted 84 years ago, this wine provides an object lesson in what venerable Tempranillo vines from Ribera del Duero can achieve when they are deftly tended and their fruit is skillfully crafted.  That fruit was treated to 100% new French oak, so it was certainly lavished with expensive treatment.  However, what really merits mention in terms of wood is how little it shows at this early point in the wine’s aging trajectory, rather than how prominent it seems.  I don’t know the toast level of the barrels, but the sensory signature is more spicy and toasty than smoky, and regardless of the toast level, it is a testament to the quality of the fruit that it has already soaked up so much more of the wood than one would expect to sense from a glass, based on the percentage of new barrels.  That fruit is ripe and rich, but “purity” is the first descriptor that comes to mind, and that too is remarkable in view of all that new oak.  Black cherry is the main fruit note, but blackberry is also suggested with a thin line of red fruit showing as well.  This is already delicious, but I have no doubt that it will develop in positive directions for many more years…as in, 20 or so.  As an aside, the 2011 (which was a relatively hot year like 2015) is just gorgeous and still obviously on the upswing, which I note as a point of comparison but also a recommendation in case you can find a bottle to buy.  Considering the excellent quality of this wine, the expense involved in its production process and the age of the vines involved, this is a great value at its price.