Pinea 17 Tempranillo Ribera del Duero Spain 2019

Calling all Royal Prince Cabernet loyalists! We try a lot of wine here in the shop, and it has become increasingly difficult to be wowed when looking for a killer Tuesday night wine. But, if enough attention is paid, and our palates stay sharp, we eventually strike gold. Luscious, complex, red...gold! 

When we hunt for the best everyday wines, we often look to the past for inspiration, and our wine clubs are a bountiful resource of quality producers. While we never repeat a wine club selection, we are always happy when we get the chance to offer something from a previously featured winery, and 17 by Pinea just so happens to be the little sister wine to one of our previous Kahuna Club selections. Anyone familiar with this collector-friendly monthly subscription will recognize the insane value that this wine represents! Under the canopy of a massive Pinea tree in the heart of Spain's legendary Ribera del Duero winemaking region, PINEA founders and longtime friends Vicente Pliego and Hugo T. Del Pozzo had an inspiring conversation that led to an epiphany: their calling was to use the magnificent characteristics of this land to produce one of the best wines in the world. Ambition was the catalyst, but timing also played a crucial role here. At the time, Vicente owned a small winery and had purchased Tempranillo from a neighboring vineyard for many harvests, always impressed by the quality of the fruit. When the family who owned that property told Vicente they were thinking of selling the estate, he quickly partnered with Hugo to purchase. And suddenly, the duo were the proud owners of eighty acres in Ribera del Duero's "Golden Mile," a region renowned for producing some of the best red wines in all of Spain. 

To head the winemaking team, the friends hired Isaac Fernandez, an acclaimed oenologist and winemaker with a career spanning three decades in Northern Spain. Their estate sits at an average altitude of 900 meters above sea level, and the vines benefit from nearly 360 degrees of exposure. They are planted in chalky sand with abundant limestone, and deeply structured rooting systems allow the vines to thrive under extreme temperatures without artificial irrigation. These vines could seemingly withstand just about anything—a shimmering garnet red in the glass with hints of purple. The nose is regal and highly perfumed, wafting the classic fruit profile of Tempranillo. Black currant, plum, and blueberry dominate with hints of vanilla, cacao nibs, and cedar. The palate is intense with fresh plum and berry compote laced with high-toned red fruits balanced against soft edges, chalky tannins, lively mineral acidity, and a long, supple finish.