I’m sure you have gathered by now that I have been on a huge Spanish kick this year. With the new Top 100 wines coming out from Wine Spectator I am happy to see that this stunning “little” Ribera del Duero made it on the top quarter of the list. I have tasted through almost all of the top 25 (you might recognize a good handful from my previous offers) and I think that this 2012 Abadia Retuerta is one of the best values you will find! For less than $30 you can get one of the fastest improving wineries of Spain. Their 2001 bottling got “Worlds Best Red Wine” at the International Wine Challenge in London in 2005. And now in 2016 they have the pleasure of being the #12 best Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator! Grab some while it lasts!!
2012 Abadia Retuerta Selección Especial $29.95
#12 Wine of the Year – Wine Spectator
93 Points Robert Parker | 93 Points Wine Spectator
93 Wine Advocate | 93 Wine Spectator: A polished texture carries harmonious flavors of black cherry, cola, licorice and mineral in this focused red. Well-integrated tannins and balsamic acidity lend this a balanced structure. Reserved but deep. Drink now through 2022.
From the outskirts of Ribera del Duero in the Duero Valley of Sardon, the hot days and cool nights create an ideal growing environment for the rugged Tempranillo grape. This wine has the richness of Tempranillo combined with the powerful fruit of Cabernet Sauvignon and the structure of Syrah. The river basin where the vines grow is the product of thousands of years of erosion, alluvium, sediment and changes in soil composition. This has created a very diverse terroir in this unique wine region, where the texture, the proportion of minerals and water absorbed or retained by each plot in the estate varies. The vineyards extend along the North-facing slopes, climbing from the river bank to heights of up to 2800 feet. This difference in altitude, together with the different soil types, creates variations in the yield from each vineyard and, therefore, grapes with very different characteristics. The Selection Especial (as you may guess from its name) is a Special Selection of 54 different plots that they blend together to give the wine the most complexity. You don’t need to break the bank for pure red wine bliss… Stock up on this Spanish stunner today!! kim@graileys.com