Ribera del Duero Vivaltus 2018
Bodegas Vivaltus
The Yllera family has a long history of winemaking in Ribera del Duero. For their latest project, Vivaltus, they have hired consultant Jean-Claude Berrouet who was the winemaker at legendary Château Pétrus for 40 years. The wine is already truning heads and was noted as a wine 'soon be an important name in Ribera del Duero' by Luis Gutiérrez, Wine Advocate.
Berrouet chose to use minimal new oak, normally a significant feature in Ribera. The grapes are vinified in 24 tanks using indigenous yeast and with the least amount of oxygen possible during fermentation. There is a constant search for freshness, elegance, finesse as opposed to over-extractions and excessive concentration.
Sourced from vines are located at 1000 meters above sea level which are between 80 and 100 years old. Aged for 11 months in oak barrels. Extraordinary nose, with black fruits and hints of balsamic and spices, very complex, mysterious and attractive, with an explosion of aromas. Very elegant on the palate with silky tannins and great complexity.
Wines are expected to land in the UK in December 2023
Delivery
Items are expected to land in the UK May 2024
Producer
Region
Variety
Reviews
Robert Parker 95 Points, Tim Atkin 98 Points
Bottle Format:
75cl
By selecting a "case of 6", you save £3, help the environment and contribute to eco-sustainable development
Variant
Status
Price
Quantity
Ratings
95 Points Robert Parker
The wine is elegant, subtle and insinuating, yet to develop the perfume and exuberance the 2016 has in the nose. It has a leafy twist that gives it freshness, and it has velvety tannins, great balance and elegance. It has the ingredients and the balance between them to develop nicely in bottle, but seeing how the 2016 is singing today, it would be a shame to pull the cork from the 2018
98 Points Tim Atkin
It may be a little premature to review this 2018, but make sure you remind yourself to buy a case in two years' time. It's the polar opposite of the big, ripe, overwooded styles of Ribera. Nuanced, refined and hauntingly balanced, with perfumed oak, lovely texture and balance, leafy, graphite-like complexity and the length of a world-class wine. 2023-35.
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Ribera Del Duero
Ribera del Duero lies within Castilla y León in North Central Spain. Within its borders lie 4 distinct municipalities, including Burgos, Soria, Segovia and Valladolid. This wine-region is located on the elevated northern plateau of the Iberian Peninsula at 800 meters (2800ft) above sea level. Ribera del Duero means "bank of the Duero", and the river indeed divides the region. It also provides the local vineyards with a much-needed water supply. The river also provides neighboring Portugal with it's premier wine region as it changes its name to Douro and flows through the eponymous valley, the home of Port and Portugal's best red table wines.
The terroir here is relatively diverse, more diverse than that of Rioja. Soil types include both chalk and clay, along with intermittent layers of silt and limestone. All of which aid in producing very fine and soft mineral flavors detectable in most wines from Ribera.
Ribera del Duero was not awarded DO status until 1982. This is despite a long history of winemaking, centered on the leading local producer, Bodegas Vega Sicilia. Today, Ribera del Duero is almost entirely devoted to red wine. Tempranillo is the most widely planted grape variety, known locally either as Tinto Fino or Tinta del Pais. It produces wines which are deeply colored, with a firm tannin structure and complex aromas of dark fruit. Most of the top examples age gracefully for years.
According to DO regulations, Tempranillo must make up a minimum of 75 percent of all vinos tintos (red wines). The balance is usually made up mostly of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec. These are all varieties that were introduced by Vega Sicilia more than a century ago. Up to five percent of Albillo or Garnacha is also permitted. Garnacha is used for most rosé wines. Albillo is the only white grape with vines planted in Ribera del Duero. It produces wines for local consumption that don't qualify for the Ribera del Duero DO title. It can also be used in tiny quantities as a softener for heavy reds.
The aging requirements used for Ribera del Duero match those of the Rioja denomination. Crianza red wines must be matured for at least two years, with 12 months in oak. Reserva wines are aged for at least three years, with one in oak. Gran Reserva wines must be aged for five years before release. two of which must be spent in oak.
Spain
Grape vines have been grown on the Iberian Peninsula since at least 3000 B.C., although it was not until 1000 B.C. that winemaking began here in earnest – a skill brought by Phoenician traders from the eastern Mediterranean. Today, Spain is home to more vines than any other country on Earth, and has a national wine output exceeded only by France and Italy.
All seventeen of Spain's administrative regions (communidades autónomas) produce wine to some extent, including the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands. The greatest concentration of vineyards is in Castilla-La Mancha, but the finest and most famous wines come from Galicia (Rias Baixas), Catalonia (Cava and Priorat), Andalucia (Sherry), Castilla y Leon (Rueda, Toro and Ribera del Duero) and of course Rioja.
Geography and climate together play a fundamental role in defining Spain's many wine styles. From cool, green Galicia and the snow-capped Pyrenees in the north, via the parched central plateau, to sandy, sunny Andalucia in the south, the Spanish landscape is very diverse. The country spans seven degrees of latitude (36°N to 43°N), leaving 500 miles (800km) between its Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts.
The key red-wine varieties, in order of acreage, are Tempranillo, Bobal, Garnacha and Monastrell. The leading white-wine varieties are Airen, Viura/Macabeo and Palomino and Albarino. 'International' varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are becoming more and more popular in Spain, and their plantings are rising in various Spanish regions. Along with the most popular varieties, there are regional specialties, such as Hondarrabi Zuri in the Basque Country, Marmajuelo in the Canary Islands and Zalema in Andalucia.
