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By: Kirk Walker | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 11/4/2021 | Send Email
Valderiz has always a standout Ribera del Duero. To start with, it has an unforgettable label. It is as striking now as it was when it was first released. Where it truly stands out is on the palate. This is a big wine, a wine that appeals to anyone who likes big reds, whether your preference is for the "New World" or "Old World" wines. Valderiz is big, dark, and rich. Bold dark fruit, framed with oak, and accented with spice. It's full-bodied and intense, but is not a bruiser. The mouth-filling tannins are polished and well-integrated with the fruit and oak. For all of its intensity, it does not lack complexity. The fruit ranges from plums to blackberries, the mix of French and a little American oak bringing a wide range of savory and sweet spices, while there's a subtle earthiness and hint of lingering limestone minerality on the finish. Valderiz is always well reviewed—over the last decade its average Wine Spectator score is 94, and it's less than $30! We are offering this at the perfect moment: temperatures are starting to get cooler, and that changes the way we are thinking about food preparation. While this would be amazing with any grilled red meat, this is a wine that wants something braised: oxtails, short ribs, or any hearty stew as long as it's cooked low and slow.
What more could you need? Nothing really, but I was curious and wanted to dig a little deeper. Valderiz was started by the Esteban family in the early '80s, just after the creation of the Ribera del Duero DO. It started with the family's original holdings around the village of Roa and expanded. They sought sites around their home village that had a mix of the typical soils for the region. They then took cuttings from their home vineyard and planted them goblet style. In an era where everyone in the world was looking to Bordeaux for their inspiration and copying everything that the Bordelaise did, they stood by their traditional planting style. They never went to conventional viticulture, and while they farm organically and biodynamically, they have never advertised this. They have quietly been growing some of the most sought-after fruit in the region. The perfect illustration of this is that the first several vintages of the wines were released in a partnership with Telmo Rodriguez. If there is one Spaniard who knows great vineyards and vineyard sites, all over Spain, it is Telmo. Working with the Esteban family was his way into the region, and signals how special their vineyards are.
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