Spain’s Ribera del Duero is not only home to the country’s most iconic wine estate—the historic Vega Sicilia—but its most ambitious, critically acclaimed properties of the modern era. The stretch of the Duero River between Valladolid and Peñafiel is arguably the most star-studded wine route in Spain, and it was here, just across the Duero from “Vega” and not far from the likes of Hacienda Monasterio and Tinto Pesquera, that the Mexican-born founders of Bodegas Pinea established their winery. They swung for the fences straight away, acquiring high-altitude, old-vine parcels near Burgos, in the heart of the Ribera del Duero DO, and hiring acclaimed winemaker Isaac Fernández—who learned his craft from his uncle, Mariano García, the legendary longtime winemaker at Vega Sicilia.
The “17” on the label of today’s wine pays homage to an important year in the evolution of Bodegas Pinea: 2017 marked the first commercial releases from the winery and was also the year the Spanish golfer Sergio García won his first “major” tournament (The Masters), so Fernández and company created “17” to commemorate a “year of triumphs.” And this wine is definitely a triumph, displaying the high toned Burgundy-esque perfume that was gently extracted from high-elevation, 30+-year-old Tempranillo vines, not to mention the assurance of a vintner the
Wine Spectator calls “one of Spain’s brightest young winemaking stars.” Just 1,000 cases were produced, and, despite its seriously impressive pedigree, its price is surprisingly fair. Let’s all take advantage now before this estate really blows up!
Then again, maybe Bodegas Pinea has already blown up. Its founders, Vicente Pliego and Hugo del Pozo, did not mess around: They acquired some incredible old-vine sites near the villages of Olmedillo de Roa and Villatuelda (Burgos), in the central part of the Ribera del Duero DO, on a high plateau of about 900 meters’ elevation. Rooted in the region’s trademark chalky sands, the un-irrigated vines enjoy a nearly 360-degree exposition at this altitude, along with day-night temperature swings of 40 degrees or more, which help to refresh the vines at night and lengthen the growing season. What distinguishes the best Ribera del Duero wines is a mixture of intense concentration and lifted, complex aromatics, and “17” captures that elusive combination beautifully—having tasted so many blocky, super-rich, oak-slathered reds from this appellation, this wine was a refreshing change of pace.
Which is not to say it lacks for power—it is definitely a concentrated, high-impact red, albeit one that reflects serious attention to detail in the vineyard, as if each individual berry was transported to the winery in its own little custom coach. Harvest was carried out by hand, with fruit carried out in small crates and fermented in stainless steel vats using ambient yeasts. The wine was aged for 20 months in a mixture of French and American oak casks, about eight months longer than is required for a wine carrying its crianza designation, but the oak-derived spice and tannin is well-integrated, especially now that the wine has enjoyed a little bit of bottle age.
Made from 100% Tempranillo (known as Tinto Fino in this neck of the woods), “17” sidles up comfortably to great neighboring Riojas and atypically calls upon some of the characteristics of far-away Burgundies. The lifted aromatics and elegant, supple body of 17 by Pinea is particularly appealing, and a departure from the more-aggressive, heavily extracted style the region is known for. Decant this wine about 30 minutes before service at a cool 60 degrees and use a Burgundy stem to enhance the perfumed aromatics. The wine displays an opaque garnet-red core with hints of light purple at the rim. The nose is regal and highly perfumed, expressing the classic fruit profile of Tempranillo with its own unique finesse very reminiscent of fine Burgundy. Black forest fruits, plum, and blueberry dominate with hints of light accents of vanilla, cacao nibs and cedar playing a supporting, background role. The palate broods with fresh plum and berry compote laced with high-toned red fruits. The wine has broad shoulders, but also soft edges with chalky tannins and a lively mineral acidity driving a long and supple finish. Enjoy it now and over the next 5-7 years with hearty dishes like the attached beef stew, and celebrate getting in on the ground floor of one of Spain’s most exciting new wine ventures. Cheers!
