Pesquera Ribera del Duero Crianza Tinto 2018 Bibendum Wine Co

Pesquera is of course one of the legendary Estates of Spain. It was under this label that Alejandro Fernández made the 100% Tempranillo wines that first launched the Ribera del Duero region on to the world stage. He established Pesquera in 1972 and the resulting critical acclaim was instrumental in the Ribera de Duero receiving official D.O. status in 1982. In 2008, the region joined the esteemed ranks of Rioja and Priorat as one of only three regions with the Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) classification.Alejandro Fernádez is a poster child for the rise and rise of the ‘New Spain’. A family breadwinner from the age of 13, he has gone on to become one of the greats of modern Spanish viticulture and a pioneer in both Ribera and with the Tempranillo grape. Pesquera was the first Estate he established and the one that launched his fame. Tinto Pesquera is made with a hybrid traditional/modern methodology and is aged a minimum of 18 months in oak, with selected Reservas and Grand Reservas remaining in barrel for at least 24 months or longer. The Pesquera township and surrounds has a firmly continental climate: the long sunny days ensure that the grapes attain good ripeness levels, while the cool nights extend the growing season and lend the wines a freshness and elegance that has long been a Pesquera trademark. The style today balances the concentration and complexity of low yields and minimal handling, with the classic freshness of the region.Unlike the other legendary Estate Vega Sicilia, Pesquera and Condado de Haza are (see below) made almost entirely from the local Tinta del Pais ‚– the local name given to Ribera’s own thick-skinned, wilder mutation of Tempranillo. These are a pleasure to drink, and totally unlike the style of many of Ribera’s flashy, high-octane alta expresión wines that have proliferated in Pesquera’s slipstream. In this respect, the wines remain some of the very finest of their genre, part of a select group of deliciously thought-provoking and timeless masterpieces. They are not always ‘technically perfect’ but they are always deliciously unique. – Rob Walters