Casa Lebai, Ribera del Duero (Castilla y León, Spain) “Matadiablos” 2020 ($65, Grapes of Spain / Aurelio Cabestrero)

This wine is a labor of love made by brothers Rodrigo and Aiser Calvo, who are also instrumental in the production of broader set of family wines of Bodegas Arrocal, which are worthy of the attention of everyone. The label pays homage to the village in which the family winery is located—Gumiel de Mercado—and also to the earlier generations of vintners who worked the land (mostly for household consumption or sale to co-ops in earlier decades). The fruit source is a high-elevation vineyard with mature vines of 26+ years, which would be considered “old vines” in any country other than Spain. The growing site faces north, which of course means less sun exposure in the Northern Hemisphere, and the wine is aged in 3,000-liter French oak foudres, as opposed to the barriques that are so common in the immediate region and all of central/northern Spain. Consequently, this must be regarded as a very intentionally made wine, and the intentions pay off very handsomely. Moderate in ripeness and resulting alcohol, with some spice notes but much less overt wood influence (and wood tannin) than is the norm in Ribera del Duero, this is an alluring wine that is already thoroughly enjoyable even though it will develop positively for another two decades. The fruit tones are mostly black but also red, with Bing cherries and blackberries coming first to mind by analogy, with savory undertones of spices and light-roasted coffee showing as well. Tannins are abundant but fine-grained and ripe, making this a food wine in the near term but not a confining one, as this would get along very nicely with a roasted duck or even a chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce. I love Tempranillo from this region—where it is simply known as Tinto Fino—and I am having trouble thinking of a wine that offers a more seductive introduction to the breed than this one.
95 Michael Franz