A very personal text on this modern classic of the Ribera del Duero: When I was doing my commercial training with a wine importer in the 1980s, there was mainly harsh Rioja from Spain, characterized by old wooden barrels, where the modern Cellar technology and ripe grapes had placed little value. I didn't particularly like them.
And then suddenly it came: the Tinto Pesquera by Alejandro Fernandez (1985 was the first vintage, I think). A wine with fruit, extract, ripe tannins, soft acidity, nice oak influence and lots of substance. We were thrilled and were the first to bring the wine to Germany and sell it exclusively for years. A huge success, also promoted by euphoric reviews by Robert Parker, who at the time almost had a monopoly on wine ratings.
Anecdote: in one of the first deliveries of the 1986 vintage, a batch of uncorked bottles arrived. Only the capsule was over the bottleneck, unfortunately Alejandro had forgotten the cork. He said: never mind, please send it back, he corks the bottles, the wine is so stable, it can take it. That's how it was, I opened one of those bottles 15 years later. First class.
The success of the Tinto Pesquera quickly found imitators, this modern style of the Ribera del Duero was style-defining for a flood of newly founded wineries. As the saying goes: often copied and never equalled. Yes, there are wines today that can hold a candle to the Pesquera, but it's still among the best in the region. I love him to this day. Frank Rembold
The 2020 vintage is considered particularly good for the Pesquera Crianza.
| Optimal drinking maturity: |
now until 2034+ |
| Analytical Data: |
14.5% ABV |
| Removal: |
12 months in American barriques |
| Grape variety: |
100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) |
| Ratings: |
91/100 Wein-Plus.eu (2019 vintage) |
| Closure: |
Natural cork |
| Type: |
dry red wine |
Bottler: Alejandro Fernandez Tinto Pesquera, S.L. Calle Real 2, 47315 Pesquera del Duero (Valladolid)
Product from Spain - contains sulphites
