Reverse Wine Snob®

Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good.

  • Home
  • About
    • What is a Reverse Wine Snob?
    • The Rating System
    • Ten Tenets of Reverse Wine Snobbery
    • RWS In The News
  • Best of Lists!
    • Best of Lists by Category
    • Top 10 Red Wines Under $20
    • Top 10 White and Rosé Wines Under $20
  • Browse
    • Ask The Expert
    • Browse by Variety
    • Browse by Region
    • Aldi® Picks
    • Costco® Picks
    • Trader Joe’s® Picks
  • FREE GUIDE
  • Insider Deals
  • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Submit Samples
    • Email Us

Reveling in the Wine of Ribera Del Duero

By: Jon Thorsen Last Updated: October 24, 2017

Reveling in the Wine of Ribera Del Duero Plus 3 Top Value Picks From This Region
A rather harsh and desolate land produces big, powerful wines. We feature 3 Top Value Picks.

As you may remember from my post on Oregon wine a couple weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be included in a sponsored media trip to New York by Snooth as part of their People’s Voice Awards. That excellent seminar (Oregon Wine – Pinot Noir and Much Much More) was the first of many. Today I have another favorite from the weekend, this time on Ribera Del Duero, Spain. And, of course, this wouldn’t be The Reverse Wine Snob if we didn’t have some recommendations for you so below I’ve also selected my three top values from this excellent region interspersed with some information about Ribera Del Duero!

Ribera Del Duero sits on the northern plateau of Iberian Peninsula and literally means “banks of the Douro”, referring to the river that splits the region and supplies much needed water to the area. This is the same river that flows through Douro and Porto in Portugal, which makes you wonder if there’s something magic in the water! The soil in the area is clay — there’s really no topsoil at all.

Perhaps the biggest challenge to growing grapes here is the lack of moisture in the winter. And what a winter it can be, hitting 10 below zero. Combine that with temperatures approaching 105F in the summer and you have one extreme climate. Despite the extreme temperatures, the area, which sits at about 2800 ft above sea level, offers that magical combination for grapes — hot days and cool nights.

 

Ribera Del Duero Value Pick #1

Bodegas Barco de Piedra Tempranillo 2011 - Costco Week Wine 1
Tastes like a lot more than $10!

Our first value pick is a wine that we’ve previously reviewed as part of our recent Costco Week series and offers the most extreme value in the tasting, especially when you consider that it can be had for just $10! The 2011 Bodegas Barco de Piedra Tempranillo is a 100% Tempranillo featuring deep, dark and rich fruit with a smooth, full texture. This is a great example of a lightly oaked Tempranillo that proves the wine can still be robust and powerful without spending a long time in barrels. It ends nicely with spicy mineral notes and more dark fruit that sticks around for a long time. Read the full review.

 

Ribera Del Duero produces Tempranillo almost exclusively. (The local name for the Tempranillo grape is Tinto Fino or Tinta Fina.) There is very little to no white white wine production although there is one white grape grown here called Albillo which is sometimes blended in very small quantities into the red wines. Speaking of the red wines, they must contain at least 75% Tempranillo, although most contain at least 90%. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot usually make up the additional 10% but Garnacha, Malbec and the aforementioned Albillo occasionally show up.

The aging requirements for wine in Ribera Del Duero are the same as Rioja, with Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva designations. In other words much of the wine produced here is built to age, and that it does quite well.

 

Ribera Del Duero Value Pick #2

2009 Seleccion de Torres Celeste Crianza, a Ribera Del Duero value pick from Reverse Wine Snob!
Heavenly.

Our second value pick is the 2009 Seleccion de Torres Celeste Crianza another 100% Tempranillo with an SRP of $28. (14.0% Alcohol; sample submitted for review.) Lucky for us, it can be had for around $17. The Celeste begins with a really lovely and expressive nose of dark fruit (blackberry, black cherry, black currant) as well as some vanilla. This medium to full-bodied wine wine tastes simply succulent with lots of juicy fruit and a smooth texture. Beware however that if you simply pop and pour this wine you’re likely to be disappointed, but let it breathe and you will surely be rewarded. It also has some relatively big tannins that I loved. This is a wine you can easily cellar for few years and it will only get better. It finishes dry with tart, lip-smacking fruit flavors and good length. Heavenly!

Buy this wine online from our featured sponsor Marketview Liquor or see a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.


Taste Rating: 10              Cost Rating: 4
Overall Rating: 8.5

Bulk Buy


 

As part of our seminar we tasted 12 different wines, paired with fantastic food from Salinas restaurant in NYC. And while the food was amazing — Galician style pumpkin-chicken soup with smoked bacon, chorizo, potato & broccoli rabe or Ribera Del Duero braised short ribs with confit potatoes & crispy leeks anyone? — the wine was even better.

To give you an idea of just how good I thought the wines were, I gave multiple 10/10 taste ratings, which is a rarity here at the site. Of the 6 wines that I liked the best, I’ve profiled the three least expensive ones here. The three other wines that I loved, but didn’t include, were $85, $100 and $160 per bottle respectively. I honestly felt like the three I’ve included here, and especially the last two, were every bit as good at a much, much lower price.

And one last note — all three reviews are based on tasting full bottles of my favorites either before the tasting (as with the Barco de Piedra) or a couple weeks after the initial tasting for the other two. As always there are no one sip tasting notes here!

 

Ribera Del Duero Value Pick #3

2005 Legaris Reserva, a Ribera Del Duero value pick from Reverse Wine Snob!
Worth every penny.

Our third value pick is the 2005 Legaris Reserva, another 100% Tempranillo, this time with an SRP of $36. (14.5% Alcohol; sample submitted for review.) The lowest price to be had for this one is around $25, making it a Saturday Splurge, but one worth every penny. The Legaris begins with a wonderful aroma of dark berry, licorice, sweet spice and some floral notes. This full-bodied wine tastes super rich and juicy with lots of dark fruit flavors and has a smooth, silky, dry texture with lasting notes of plums and raisins. This one needs some time to breathe just like the Celeste, but wow, what a fantastic wine. The finish lasts and lasts, but I found myself having a hard time waiting to take another sip.

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.


Saturday Splurge


 

Also check out my other articles to date in the Snooth PVA Wine Writers Seminars series:

  • Oregon Wine – Pinot Noir and Much Much More Plus the 2012 Willamette Valley Vineyard Whole Cluster Pinot Noir
  • Excellent Italian Whites – Exploring the White Wines of Italy Including Two Bulk Buy Selections!
  • Gruner Love Featuring the Stadlmann Gruner Veltliner 2011

 

Want more info on Ribera Del Duero? Check out these great posts by my fellow writers who also attended the seminar:

  • The V.I.P. Table: Ribera del Duero – Thriving through Adversity
  • Benito’s Wine Reviews: Snooth PVA – Ribera del Duero
  • Brunello Bob: Ribera del Duero Lunch -Salinas NYC
  • Wine Julia: #SnoothPVA – Experiencing Spain in New York City with Ribera del Duero Wines at Salinas
  • Vindulge: Wine and food are a great match for Ribera del Duero
  • My Vine Spot: #SnoothPVA – Ribera del Duero Lunch at Salinas
  • avvinare: Ribera Del Duero Tasting During SnoothPVA at Salinas
  • Also check out the summary article from Snooth: PVA RIBERA DEL DUERO – Reports From Our Favorite Writers

Published: April 30, 2013 Filed Under: Bulk Buy, Saturday Splurge, Spain - Ribera Del Duero, Tempranillo

<< Club W Wine Club Review – Delivering Delight and a Free Bottle of Wine!
Maquis Cabernet Sauvignon – Why pay for Napa Valley when Colchagua Valley will do? >>

About Jon Thorsen

Author and independent wine consumer helping millions of people find great grape without breaking the bank. Sign up for my FREE GUIDE to learn how! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Pinterest and join my Facebook Group to chat about wine.

Reverse Wine Snob Insider Deals
Limited Time Offers. Amazing Discounts. Don't Miss Out!
Twitter 225,239Followers
Facebook 82,700Fans
Instagram 19,350Followers

Best Of Lists!

The Best Syrah Under $20 - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

The Best Syrah Under $20

The Best Riesling - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

The Best Riesling Under $20

The Best Pinot Noir - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

The Best Pinot Noir Under $20

The Best White and Rosé Wines Under $20

The 2020 Best White and Rosé Wines Under $20

The Best Tempranillo Under $20 - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

The Best Tempranillo Under $20

The Best Chianti Under $20 - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

The Best Chianti Under $20

Read All Of Our Best Of Lists Here!

Featured Articles

The Best Rosé Wines - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

The Best Rosé Wines Under $20

The Best Cabernet Sauvignon Under $20 - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

The Best Cabernet Sauvignon Under $20

Why Are Vineyards Often Found On The Slopes of Hills and Mountains? Ask The Expert!

Why Are Vineyards Often Found On The Slopes of Hills and Mountains? Ask The Expert!

What Is The Role Of Native Yeast Versus Cultured Yeast in Winemaking? Ask The Expert!

What Is The Role Of Native Yeast Versus Cultured Yeast In Winemaking? Ask The Expert!

Water and Wine - Irrigation Versus Dry Farming? Ask The Expert!

Water and Wine – Irrigation And Dry Farming. Ask The Expert!

The Best Zinfandel Under $20 - The Reverse Wine Snob Picks!

The Best Zinfandel Under $20

Order The Book on Amazon!

.

How To Drink Great Wine…Without Breaking The Bank

Tired of wasting money on crappy wine? Sign up for our free guide!

About Me

Maximizing your wine dollars since 2011! Independent wine consumer helping millions of people (2.7 million visitors in 2020 alone) find great wines without breaking the bank including through our exclusive Insider Deals. If you're new to Reverse Wine Snob don't forget to sign up for our free guide! Want to chat about wine? Join our Facebook Group!

Reverse Wine Snob®: Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good.

Copyright © 2011–2021 · Reverse Wine Snob, LLC. | Privacy, Editorial & Advertising Policy