2022 Matallana
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Tasting notes
(Ribera Del Duero DO; from a blend of Tinto Fino, Navarro, Valenciano, Albillo and other varietals sourced from the best sites in Sotillo de la Ribera, Roas, Fuentecén, Fuentemolinos and Pardilla; fermented in oak vats and tanks with indigenous yeasts; aged for 14 months in French oak barrels; 14.5% alcohol). Much more closed aromatically than Dolio at first. Introvert. Very soft and gentle with an incredibly sensuous and pixilated raspberry and loganberry fruit; a little mulberry and black berry with aeration in the mouth. Plump, substantial and, above all, spherical in form in the mouth. The soft tannins caress the palate all the way to a distant horizon. Lovely. 97+.
Critic scores
Average Score
Colin Hay, The Drinks Business
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
More reviews and scores
Dark-fruited with subtle chocolate, this Ribera del Duero opens with layers of blackberries, pepper and graphite. The palate is full-bodied and composed, with finely etched, dusty yet refined tannins that frame the velvety fruit without overpowering it. It is broad but with precision and tension. A great effort in one of the warmest and driest vintages in recent history. It can be drunk now, but best from 2027.
A little reserved at this early stage, you can feel the hew and heft of the tannins keeping everything in check. There is a sense of precision and crafted architecture, concentrated but with the lightest of touches. Energy and power, dark black fruits, exceptional quality. 21.5ha across eleven vineyards, winemakers Telmo Rodriguez and Pablo Eguzkiza. Harvest September 22 to October 6 after an exceptionally dry season, native yeast fermentation in oak vats and stainless steel tanks.
Balsamic nose, rose petals, blackcurrants with Maraschino cherries. Tannic and grippy but not dry, this has flesh but turns more savoury than overtly fruity giving liquorice, vanilla cream, cola and tobacco touches. It’s quite a serious wine with less charm on offer right now but lots of energy and precision to make up for it. Needs a while for the wood to integrate and to shake some of the seriousness off but there's no faulting the precision to each and every element and the fruit is amazingly pure. Owner/winemaker pair Telmo Rodriguez and Pablo Eguzkiza.