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

 The 2015 vintage of this wine — released in the USA at the same time as its stablemate from 2014 — is beautiful even just to behold, with a deep ruby hue and such clarity that it almost seems to shimmer in one’s glass.  More taut and firmly oaked at this stage than the 2014, it is nevertheless beautifully proportioned too, with very fresh acidity providing lift and linear drive to the concentrated fruit and bold but balanced oak.  (Even the label and packaging are beautiful, if that matters to you.)  It shows lots of tannin working along with the oak to firm and frame the wine’s fruit, but that fruit is so fresh and expressive that neither element gets the upper hand.  Although this is best laid down for a good five years if you only have a bottle or two, it proved quite enjoyable with a grilled hanger steak after a tasting session, so don’t be afraid to try it now to see if you want to purchase more of it.  Re-tasted the following day, the wine had not budged an inch, meaning that it had not softened much, but also that the freshness of fruit was utterly uncompromised.