2010 Ribera del Duero Reserva

The 2010 Reserva is produced from old Tempranillo grapes from old vineyards where there are a myriad of varieties mixed in the field, probably around 5% white Albillo and some 5% of other mixed grapes. These are all small plots in the village of La Aguilera (Burgos), close to Aranda de Duero, that are whole-cluster fermented, partly foot trodden in 2,000-liter stainless steel bins with long macerations and slow fermentations. Things are so slow here that this wine didn’t go through malolactic fermentation until 2012. It’s a red that has aged for a long time in French barriques, has been slowly stabilized and has achieved great balance. It was finally bottled in October 2013. Everything here is subtle, it’s a wine that whispers about its earthy aromas. The palate is lively and fresh, invites you to drink it, with its medium-bodied palate, and an elegant rusticity full of character, clearly showing the hallmarks of place and vintage. It’s still undeveloped; the way these wines are produced means they will age at glacial pace in bottle. A truly vin de garde that will age for a long time. Bravo! 1,500 bottles were produced. Drink now-2025. Jorge Monzon Pascual is the name behind Dominio del Aguila. He has an impressive CV, as he spent two years at the Domaine de la Romanee Conti while studying in France, one year in Vega Sicilia where he was working on the white wine project that was aborted, and nine years as technical director of Arzuaga Navarro where the has given the wines a new life within the style of the house. He has built the domaine the traditional way, giving absolute priority to the vineyards: he has slowly through the years purchased small plots of old head-pruned vineyards in his village of La Aguilera close to Aranda de Duero, 30 hectares in total. All the reds are whole-cluster fermented, mostly foot-trodden and with very late malolactic when the wine is in barrels. The aging is slow and long, as he has cold underground natural cellars where the evolution is at a glacial pace. This is a really exciting new project in Ribera del Duero, where things are done with no rush and following the traditions of yesteryear. The wines are fresh, powerful, true to their place of birth, powerful yet elegant, unique and are about to come into the market. Initial quantities are small as he sells most of the grapes. No known American importer.