Protos, Ribera del Duero (Castilla y León, Spain) 2019

 This is a very big producer with a facility to match, with a long history and some delicious, contemporary wines like this one — as well as ones that are less surprising.  The Crianza (2017) and Reserva (2015) are both quite good, and the Gran Reserva (2014) is excellent, but all of them are selling at higher prices in the USA than they should be, to be truly competitive against comparable wines from the region.  By comparison, this “27” release from 2019 is a deal, and a delicious one too, so this is the wine to seek out.  Aged for 16 months in 100% French oak, it is nevertheless the least oaky of the four wines referenced here, with beautiful fruit that shows what Ribera del Duero can do best.  The color is very deep, and is pigmented right to the edge of a tipped glass, and the aroma, flavor and finish live up to the wine’s lovely appearance.  Speaking of appearances, I can’t quite understand why Protos would bottle a more modern wine under a much less modern label than the other releases.  But then, I’m a wine reviewer — not a design critic.  Delicious and highly recommended.