2019 Dominio Aguila, Ribera del Duero, Reserva

The Ribera del Duero is a highly revered, 2600 year old Spanish wine region that was in thorough need of a fresh perspective. In the 90’s, the wines which met with critical success would often feel overtly oaky and lacking in balance. Although they’re undeniably the new kids on the block in Ribera del Duero – Dominio del Aguila was founded in 2010 – they have been making big waves among critics and connoisseurs for their recognition of the potential held by the pre-phylloxera vineyards of La Aguilera. These wines feel revolutionary, and have exploded onto the critical scene; they now count among the most exciting wines in all of Spain. Jorge Monzón Pascual is the owner/winemaker for Dominio del Aguila. He comes from a family with a long tradition of growing grapes bought by Vega Sicilia (previous best in class Ribera del Duero), Pingus, and other Spanish benchmarks. He broke that tradition when he decided he wanted to make his own wine instead of contributing to someone else’s success, and spent two years working in the cellars at Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, followed by a year at Vega Sicilia. His style is clearly influenced by both. The Reserva is a blend of parcels and varieties that represents the character and terroir of the old vines Domino del Aguila love to work with. All vines were planted before 1930 on predominantly north-facing sites with sandy clay-limestone soils. They add some old vine Albillo into it for complexity and aromatic flair. For this bottling, Jorge prefers to co-ferment the grapes, as it helps best show the wine’s terroir. This wine spends 3 years in barrel coming together—and this is evident in the wine’s texture, poise, and complexity.