This festive period, delight your guests by adding a showstopping Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero to your Christmas feast, or simply surprise a loved one with the gift of an exceptionally crafted wine from one of the world’s most exciting wine regions.
With top-quality wines ranging from Reserva and Gran Reserva wines which are full-bodied, bold, well-balanced and textured, brimming with rich, old-world sensibility, spice, dark fruit and smoky flavours, to Crianza wines which are younger, modern-style fruity, lighter and acidic, aged in small French oak barrels, Ribera del Duero truly offers something for everyone’s palate and budget.
Award-winning wine writer and Master of Wine Tim Atkin visits Ribera del Duero every September and tastes over 600 wines to select his top 100. Upon his return from his most recent trip to the region, he said “Although it is overwhelmingly planted with just a single red grape: Tempranillo, the more I visit the region, the more I am convinced of its quality and diversity. The white wines are getting better and better by the vintage, but it’s the reds that are mostly responsible for the region’s well-deserved worldwide reputation. Ribera del Duero has so much to offer right now.” And we’re not surprised that these are his views. Ribera del Duero’s wineries each have their own unique profile, personality and philosophy, which translate into delicious wines.
Located in the historic Castilla y León, this 115km strip of vineyards hugging the banks of the Duero River has been producing high-quality wines for over 2,500 years. Known for its old vines, harsh climate and being the home of Tempranillo, or Tinto Fino as it’s known locally, the vineyards of Ribera del Duero stretch from the riverbanks, up the slopes of the valley, and onto the exposed moorlands at some of the highest altitude vineyards in Europe. The result of this diverse and unique landscape? Luxurious wines, and with Christmas around the corner, there is no better time to treat yourself and loved ones.
Here's 9 exceptional Ribera del Duero wines to try this Christmas.
Ribera del Duero 2019, Torres Celeste Crianza
Waitrose, £13.99
This wine has a lovely dark cherry red colour with subtle warm toasty glints. Clean aromatic expression, with notes of flowers and black fruit over smoky, toasty undertones. Luscious and wonderfully velvety. Well-constructed and with the substance of a great wine, supported by the clean, spiced oak from its good ageing. Given its smooth, silky tannins and fruit concentration, the wine pairs beautifully with all kinds of red meat, chorizo, and aged cheeses.
https://www.waitrosecellar.com/spanish-wine/torres-celeste-crianza-852015
Ribera del Duero 2019 Crianza Heredad Arano
The Secret Cellar £28
Bright and lively in appearance with a beautiful cherry red colour, this wine is bursting with intense aromas of black fruit, coffee and pure cocoa and hints of white flowers, which is characteristic of Tempranillo from the Ribera del Duero region of Burgos. It offers a good balance of wood and fruit with a fresh start, passing through silky tannins, giving roundness and structure. A long finish and full-on palate, leaving an intense memory of black fruit. Pair with all kinds of meats and fish in sauce.
https://www.thesecretcellar.co.uk/red-wine/spain/ribera-del-duero-2019-crianza-bela-arano/
Ribera del Duero 2016, Abadia La Arroyada, Crianza
Ultracomida, £15.95
Made from 100% Tempranillo, this wine pairs well with all types of cured cheeses and red meats, making it your perfect cheeseboard accompaniment. Ripe blueberries, cherries, strawberries, coconut and bay leaves with chocolate on the nose, this medium to full-bodied wine offers firm, ripe tannins. Polished, rich and delicious.
https://www.ultracomida.co.uk/spanish-food-wine/show/abadia-la-arroyada-tempranillo-crianza
Origen de Resalte Crianza, 2019
Strictly Wine, £25.99
Origen de Resalte is produced from more than 30-year-old Tempranillo vineyards with yields under 4,500 kg/hectares and located across 6 different villages of Ribera del Duero DO. A wide range of soils, altitudes and sunlight exposure provides this wine with complexity, which is full of finesse, fruity notes of blackberry, cherry and liquorice enveloped in exquisitely integrated oak. A full-bodied palate with ripe tannins finishes with textured, long-lasting depth.
https://strictlywine.co.uk/resalte-crianza-origen-ribera-del-duero
Tinto Pesquera Reserva Ribera del Duero 2019
Highbury Vintners, £36
Clean and brilliant with an attractive black cherry hue this wine is complex and very elegant on the nose with aromas of red and black fruits with balsamic and toasted notes, such as vanilla and liquorice. On the palate it is full, rich and lingering in mouth with silky, enveloping tannins. Tinto Pesquera Reserva is still young and will continue to develop for many years to come. Enjoyed with a hearty Christmas feast after decanting for a short time.
https://highburyvintners.co.uk/products/tinto-pesquera-reserva-ribera-del-duero-2019
Petit Vega Ribera del Duero Reserva 2015
Waddesdon Wine, £33
Petit Vega Reserva is a very expressive wine that has a broad complex mouth feel but is also quite subtle. On the nose it opens up to reveal cassis, blueberry coulis, liquorice, violet, fresh tobacco, toast, melted dark chocolate, mocha and toast. 100% Tempranillo and aged for 28 months in French oak barrels. Despite its seven years of aging, this still feels youthful and fresh, and crammed full of sweet oak. An hour in the decanter brings out the best in the wine. Serve with roast lamb or treat a loved one with an addition to their cellar for many years to come.
https://waddesdonwine.co.uk/products/petit-vega-ribera-del-duero-reserva
Carmelo Rodero Reserva 2019
Gourmet Hunters, £37.93
Carmelo Rodero Reserva 2019 has an intense cherry red colour and on the nose is possesses the highest potential of very ripe fruit, yet fresh, with greater depth in the black fruit aromas and less in red fruits aromas, with a spicy nuance, very complex, subtle and elegant. On the palate it is a very sweet wine, with the right density. This wine is balanced, full-bodied and has a delicious lingering aftertaste. Delight your guests by serving with red meat.
https://www.gourmethunters.com/en_GB/Carmelo+Rodero+Reserva+2019?tracking=642be73de771f
Finca el Otero, 2019 áster
Vinatis, £53.10
Finca el Otero 2019 is a must-have this Christmas as it accompanies a variety of dishes such as roasted vegetables, red meats, roasted lamb, suckling pig and mature cheeses from the area. A classic and bold Ribera that is complex but approachable. Intense and creamy with black fruits and restrained tannins, it is full-bodied, savoury and food-friendly, with a smooth, elegant entry, a supple, fleshy mid-palate and a pleasant, balanced aftertaste with spicy and balsamic hints. This Ribera del Duero has excellent ageing potential, but its drinkability is such that it can already be enjoyed after a good airing with hearty dishes.
Alvides Tercera Generación 2018
The Winery UK, £31.99
Alvides Tercera Generación 2018 is clean and bright. On the nose it is typical Ribera del Duero style – big and complex. Over a slight ripe fruit core, you will find spices and tars with a mineral hint, followed by cacao, cocoa and some toffee essences over a very well heated oak. It is vigorous on the mouth with tannins without being rough. Extraordinary balance of acidity and alcohol with a long finish. A fine wine that will experience a slow evolution and show velvety sensations in the mouth overtime.
Stay up to date with Ribera Del Duero’s activities in the UK on Instagram @riberadelduerouk and X @DORiberaUK.
