Valduero, Ribera del Duero (Castilla y León, Spain) 2016

 I seized an opportunity to taste this more developed version of the 2018 "Tierra Alta ‘Valduero 2 Maderas” (which is how the wine is now designated) that I tasted in Ribera del Duero in March when I found a few bottles available at retail in D.C., and the contrast was very interesting — if also quite difficult to diagnose.  This seemed more than two years more developed than the 2018, and was very complex, but a bit lacking in energy and potential for additional development.  That’s not a problem for the overwhelming majority of consumers who enjoy their wines shortly after buying them — indeed, it is an advantage.  At this juncture, this is as savory as it is fruity, with lots of interesting little nuances like cigar wrapper, wild sage and soft spices showing alongside mostly red fruit tones.  I can’t say whether or how much the winemaking process changed along with the name, or whether it is the 2016 vintage or just the additional two years of bottle age that explains the performance disparity between the two wines — but buy this for current consumption or the 2018 for more robust food or additional developmental capacity.