Yolanda García Viadero and her family farm 495 acres of bush vines, which they planted in the late 1980s in the town of Gumiel del Mercado, at an elevation around 2,750 feet above sea level. They farm without chemicals and age their reserva-level wines in French oak barrels against the walls of a deep 15th-century limestone cellar in town. This is the García Viaderos’ take on modern Ribera del Duero—rather than the radical-traditional style of Goyo, Yolanda’s brother, who split from the family to tend ancient vines and produce fresh field blends without sulfur. Much as I love the work Goyo does and the beauty of the results, I can’t deny the beauty of Yolanda’s 2014. It’s floral and elegant, evolving toward an idealized vision of what tempranillo can be. The wine’s tart red fruit has exciting freshness six years after harvest, offering notes of game and black plum skin, pear-like acidity and clarity. Lovely.
South River Imports, Edgewater, MD
94
Valduero 2014 Ribera del Duero Reserva
$48
Every week, our editors highlight a wine that intrigued them in our blind panel tastings, expanding on their tasting note in this space. These are entirely editorial choices; there are no paid placements. Subscribers can also access the original tasting note by searching here.
Joshua Greene is the editor and publisher of Wine & Spirits magazine.
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