Food-Tempered Tempranillo - Wine & Spirits Magazine

Wine of the Week

Food-Tempered Tempranillo

by Joshua Greene • May 18, 2020

Lecco is a selection from vines around 30 years old, when they begin to restrict their yields on their own. This crianza spends 14 months in oak barrels, 70/30 French to American (the proportion of used barrels is higher than in the wines labeled under the Resalte brand). It’s not just the older barrels and the American oak that makes the wine taste Spanish, however mysterious that description may be. But part of what’s great about this wine is how mysterious it is—to an American, at least. The winemaker, Enrique Andrades, in response to my queries, said his intention is for Lecco to be easy to understand. Also, he hopes it’s easy to drink; and, with that, I would agree: The plump fruit has evolved toward licorice, black plums, a meaty richness in the middle and a delicate, fragrant spice that lasts in the end. That fragrance brings to mind a spice rub for lamb, or the gentle richness of lechazo, the baby lamb you might eat with this in Ribera. Lecco’s savory component would also work well with rabbit paella. The wine’s vibrant energy keeps bringing thoughts of food.

Toros & Vinos, Miami, FL

93

Resalte de Peñafiel 2016 Ribera del Duero Lecco Crianza

$27

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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

Joshua Greene is the editor and publisher of Wine & Spirits magazine.

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TAGS Bodegas Resalte de Peñafiel Ribera del Duero Spain Tempranillo

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After graduating with a degree in journalism from the Universidad de Chile in Santiago, Patricio Tapia attended Bordeaux University in France, where he studied for a diploma in wine tasting and winemaking. Since then, he has visited wine regions around the world and authored several books, including his annual Descorchados, a Chilean wine guide; The Wines of Colchagua Valley; TodoVino and Wines for Great Occasions. Tapia is also the South American correspondent for The Oxford Companion to Wine, The World Atlas of Wine and Oz Clarke’s Pocket Wine Book. For the past three years, he’s been a host on the El Gourmet channel in South America. At Wine & Spirits, Tapia is the critic for the wines of Argentina, Chile and Spain, and regularly contributes articles on these regions.