Dominio de Atauta 2020
Intense aromas of black cherry, plum and smoky, mocha notes. Powerful, ripe fruit flavours combine with a darker, more brooding, wild character and hints of garrigue which open up in the glass. There is substantial tannin on display but, despite this, they are fine grained and integrated. After the initial power and explosion of flavour on the palate the finish shows freshness and elegance. This would be best approached after an hour in a decanter, and best enjoyed over the next 2-10 years.

Pair with roast lamb, good cuts of beef, or game.

95pts – Ribera del Duero: Panel tasting, Decanter (Feb ‘ 24)

Classic Ribera from a producer in one of the region’s wildest and most rugged areas, the valley of Atauta. The bodega works with pre-phylloxera vines, 130-190 years old. These vineyards are located at 940m-1,010m, resulting in fresh acidity and elegance. To balance the wine’s lively backbone, it is fermented in either large wooden vats or concrete, then aged for 14 months in French oak. Beth Willard: A really complete wine with beautiful fruit, precision and great balance. The oak is fine and lightly toasted so doesn’t dominate the fruit. Tannins are supple, the palate velvety. David Williams: Keen and succulent: mulberry and cherry with a little bittersweet hit of blood orange and citrus pith. Complexity, and substance. Diana Rollan: Blackcurrant, liquorice, violets and plum compote. Muscular and concentrated with good balanced acidity and a savoury, herbal character.