Pinea Tempranillo Ribera del Duero Spain 2017

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 that 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 vines to thrive under extreme temperatures without artificial irrigation. These vines could seemingly withstand just about anything. Pinea Crianza 2017 is the flagship of the winery, and with this wine, Vincente and Hugo seem to be well on their way to achieving their initial goal of creating one of the best wines in the world.

This wine is 100% Tempranillo and aged for thirty months in 100% French oak. The result is an elegant, full-throttled wine with lush, dark berry fruit accented with savory and mineral notes. It's a gorgeous wine to drink now, showing well-integrated oak, silky tannins, and a lingering finish, but it will also lay down in your cellar for several years. While Tempranillo is not often a varietal that ACME highlights, this wine is reminiscent of our favorite cult Cabernets from Napa valley-powerful, rich, and luscious.  This is a perfect match for grilled steaks or richly flavored stews.