Long before the first vintage of Aster Ribera del Duero from la Rioja Alta came out, people were looking around for the right vineyards. These were bought in 1993, but it was not until 2000 that the first wine was marketed under its own label because the quality before that was not up to par. This story is so typical for this traditional bodega, you just take your time until it fits!
The Aster Crianza vineyards are very high at 780 meters, which gives the wine its cool-climate structure. The altitude means that, despite the warm 2019 vintage, the harvest only began on October 8th, at a time when many parts of Europe had long since finished. The grapes were selected manually again before pressing. After temperature-controlled fermentation, the wine rested in French barriques, 75% of which were new and the remaining 25% were second use. In May 2021 it was ready for bottling.
Due to the low rainfall in winter 2018/2019, the Aster Crianza has a high concentration of everything. This characteristic can be found in many growing areas in Europe. A very typical 2019.
The Aster Crianza 2019 has an intense scent of ripe dark berries, with notes such as coffee beans, liquorice, cloves and pepper. On the palate it combines the grippy tannins with a lot of extract and a pleasant freshness that keeps the wine alive despite its concentration. This is a decidedly elegant Ribera del Duero, made by experts.
