2018 Matarromera Crianza (750ml)

Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero, Castilla y Leon, Spain

B-21 Top Recommendation
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Fans of Spain's Ribera del Duero appreciate its powerful long-lived 100% Tempranillo wines, especially when enjoying one doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Earning a coveted spot on the Wine Spectator's Top 100 of 2021 from an area known for its luxury-priced wines, the outstanding 92pt 2018 Matarromera Crianza delivers exceptional quality at an equally exceptional value, boasting fragrant aromatics and rich dark fruit hinting of earthy cedar and zesty minerality and finishing long with lush, integrated tannins built for aging.

Crafting top-rated Tempranillo for over four decades, Bodegas Matarromera was established by innovative winemaker and businessman Carlos Moro in Valladolid along the Golden Mile of Ribera del Duero, encompassing over 100 hectares of high elevation vineyards on the northern slopes of the Duero Valley between Olivares and Valbuena de Duero. Located near the Duero River, the organically farmed vineyards for the Matarromera Crianza are planted with the local clone of Tempranillo known as Tinta del Pais in a mix of chalky limestone and loamy clay soils, averaging nearly 30 years of age and enjoying optimal exposure for ripening. Employing strict selection in the vineyard and at the winery, head winemaker Felix Gonzalez aged the 2018 Matarromera Crianza in mostly large American oak barrels for 14 months and in the bottle for another 10 months before release, yielding an intense, complex wine with smooth toasted notes and silky, palate-coating tannins.

From an outstanding vintage in Ribera del Duero showing great balance and elegance, the muscular 2018 Matarromera Crianza is a "complex yet polished red" according to the Wine Spectator delivering earthy fresh fruit with alluring concentration and impressive structure, decadently delicious now with the ability to age for another decade and bargain priced for fans of powerful, vineyard-driven Spanish reds.

92WE

91WS #78 Top 100

Aromas of blueberry and orange zest set the stage for flavors of black cherry, pomegranate, salted caramel and milk chocolate. This dark violet-colored wine feels good in the mouth, offering silky tannins and a slightly salty finish.

92 points, Mike Desimone, Wine Enthusiast (Apr 2022)

This complex red has polished tannins, with a beefy undertone to the glossy cherry, anise, loamy earth and spice notes that give way to vivid tea and violet details on the finish. Drink now through 2029. 50,000 cases made, 2,000 cases imported.

91 points, Gillian Sciaretta, Wine Spectator (Sep 2021)

#78 - Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2021

Alcohol By Volume: 14.5%

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$36.98

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