Abadia Retuerta Seleccion Especial 2018 75cl

75% Tempranillo, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah.

Abadia Retuerta is located just outside the DO of Ribera del Duero. It was once part of the Vega Sicilia estate and was revived when a Swiss pharmaceutical company purchased the land in 1991. They own 210 hectares of vineyard dispersed over 54 plots interpolated with pine forest, and the wines are vinified in a state-of-the-art winery. The premium wines spend 14 to 18 months in French and American oak (64% and 36% respectively).

The Wine Advocate | Jun 30, 2021 | Luis Gutiérrez
2018 was a cooler year with more rain and higher yields, and the 2018 Selección Especial—77% Tempranillo, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah, 1% Merlot, 0.8% Petit Verdot and 0.3% Garnacha—shows very harmonious and better integrated oak than the 2017. Despite having similar analytical data, the wine comes through as fresher, more balanced, more fluid and with a finer texture given the quality of the tannins. 532,607 bottles produced. It was bottled in May and June 2020.

Abadía Retuerta, like many others, is in the process of converting their vineyards to organic farming. They started in 2016, and as of 2021, the Pago Negralada, Pago la Raya (Blanco LeDomaine) and Viñedo Histórico will be certified; they expect to have the rest in four years. They also filed the papers to get their own Vino de Pago appellation. And their Cuvée Palomar is making a comeback. All of this comes from their 192 hectares of vineyards from which they produce around 500,000 bottles.