Arrocal, Ribera del Duero (Castilla y León, Spain) Los Colmenares 2023 ($47, Grapes of Spain / Aurelio Cabestrero)

Made entirely from Tinto Fino (as Tempranillo is generally referred to in Ribera del Duero) sourced from three high-elevation plots in the Valle de los Colmenares sub-district of “Ribera,” this is a wine of great subtlety and “class.” It is already so softly textured and “open” in aroma and flavor that it won’t turn almost anyone away, and yet it is equally evident that this is a wine that can build its arsenal of complexities for years to come. To cut to the chase, this is seductively aromatic and absolutely delicious in terms of flavor, but what is most remarkable is its texture or “feel.” It shows basically no un-resolved wood tannin, and the tannins that are present offer only advantageous firming and definition to the wine, without any harshness or overly astringent or “drying” effect. Stated in more “positive” terms, the wine presents itself in a way that brings to mind “unveiled” as a descriptor, because one need not “look past” the oak or tannin to get at the beauty of the fruit from which it was made. One need not guess about how good this may become, as it is obviously terrific already, even though additional bottle aging will enhance both its complexity and its overall appeal. My hope is that those who (wisely) buy this wine will buy enough of it to resist its immediate charms to learn what it will become in another 5 or 10 years. Wow — what a beauty.
95 Michael Franz