Abadia Retuerta Seleccion Especial 2016 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).

Issue 246 End of December 2019, The Wine Advocate | 30th Dec 2019 | Luis Gutiérrez
Selección Especial is Abadía Retuerta's reliable red blend produced in enough quantities to have good availability and with an approachable and easy-to-understand profile that reached great quality with the 2016 Selección Especial, from one of the best vintages in recent times in the region. It's 75% Tempranillo, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Syrah, 3% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot, a blend that can change with the conditions of the year, as it's decided by tasting the wines. If in the past this wine was quite oaky, this 2016 feels quite integrated and balanced, ripe and medium-bodied, with a soft and tender palate, round tannins and moderate influence from the élevage of 13 months in French and American oak barrels.