Tempranillo, Cariñena, Bruñal, Bobal, Albillo



Ein Insider-Tipp der bald schon keiner mehr ist. Wir sind überzeugt, unser Gefühl täuscht uns nicht. Dominio del Aguila wird spanische Wein-Geschichte schreiben...
Der Dominio del AGUILA Peñas Aladas Gran Reserva 2010 ist der erste Gran Reserva - Jahrgang überhaupt und umfasst lediglich 1100 Flaschen. Dieser Gran Reserva besitzt eine betörende Nase nach Veilchen, wilden Beeren und asiatischen Gewürzen, ist finessenreich, hat eine vielschichtige Aromatik, ein Spanier nach "Burgunder Art"...
Der Dominio del AGUILA Peñas Aladas Gran Reserva 2010 wird manuelle Ernte, das Traubengut wird nicht entbeert. Nach alttraditioneller Art mit den Füssen zertreten. Biologischer Säureabbau. 51monatige Reifung in französischer Eiche. Keine Klärung, keine Batonnage.
Am Gaumen intensive Aromen von Waldbeeren; angenehme Säure und Tannine. Mundfüllend, gut strukturiert mit einem langanhaltenden, feinen, samtigen - burgundischen - Abgang. Ein wunderchöner Ribera del Duero.

WineAdvocate #221 | October 2015 | Luis Gutierrez "The great news here is that their first Gran Reserva is about to be released under the name 2010 Peñas Aladas Gran Reserva. It is sourced from small plots of vineyards in a quarter of the Aguilera vineyards, known locally as Peñas Aladas (winged stones?), although the spelling might vary according to the locals you might talk to, where they own some very old vineyards that are surrounded by pine tree forests. The old vineyards have a mixture of grapes, always dominated by Tempranillo, but with others (Cariñena, Bruñal, Bobal, Albillo...) that make up around 15% of the volume of the wine. The full clusters fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and the wine aged slowly for 51 months in oak in a very cold cave where the aging is extremely slow, as the low temperatures (the ideal 12 C all year round) make wines evolve at a glacial pace. The wine was raised in barrel until they felt the tannins had achieved the velvety texture they were looking for. The nose is incredibly perfumed with notes of violets, wild berries and plenty of Asian spices; it is quite heady, properly ripe (without excess), complex and very showy. The palate is velvety but with chalky tannins that cling to your teeth and make it very tasty with an austere minerality. There is great freshness and gobsmacking balance. Believe it or not, this is still a baby that should have a very long life in bottle. 2010 was definitively a great vintage and this wine shows it. Simply superb, fine, elegant Ribera del Duero for the future; I'd love to revisit this in 2023! 1,100 bottles produced. The price has not yet been set. There might also be a small quantity of another single vineyard, Cantalaperdiz, bottled and sold separately in the future. Stay tuned.

There are some new wines from Dominio del Águila: a superb single vineyard, Peñas Aladas, from the 2010 vintage; and also a white which, for now, is not part of the Ribera del Duero appellation, as the appellation does not (yet) contemplate white wines, but might do so in the future. The non-rosé 'claret' clearly improves with time in bottle, so don't get fooled into thinking you should consume it ASAP. Put the bottles aside for a couple of years and you'll be in for a treat! As for the reds, they are quite oaky as they had to start from scratch and buy all of their barrels new, and I think the oak will show better as it integrates into the wines. The barrels they buy are world class and so are their vineyards, but sometimes the shallow soils and the skin deep limestone mother rock can provide for some grainy, dry tannins that require a long and slow polishing, which means a long time in barrel. But I've walked their vineyards and if there is fruit that can take the oak treatment that we're talking about, it's certainly that of the very old, dry-farmed, bush vines they work. These reds are designed for the long haul, and I'm very confident time in bottle will render the oak imperceptible and the wines will mature to be classic Ribera del Duero examples, among the best produced in the region. Quality is on the way up. This is certainly the most exciting new project in Ribera del Duero and I have the feeling the best is yet to come. A name to keep in your radar screens if you're interested in the appellation."