2022 Dominio de Pingus "PSI" Ribera del Duero

The numbers are impressive, showing what a successful brand this has become: 200 hectares, 500 growers, 700 lots and 360,000 bottles. Pairing Tinto Fino and 8% Garnacha, most of it from vineyards to the east of Aranda, this is vibrant, focused and subtly wooded, all pomegranate, black cherry and mountain herbs on the palate, with nicely understated 5% new wood.

Though not Spanish by birth, Peter Sisseck is a legendary figure in Spain. After training in Bordeaux and California, he planted roots in Spain and established the now very famous Dominio de Pingus in Ribero del Duero. PSI is a relatively new project by Sisseck, meant to preserve the historic old bushvine vineyards in the region. The 2022 PSI is mainly Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) along with a small percentage of Garnacha – unusual for the region – as well as the white variety Albillo. Sisseck is committing to preserving these old vines as well, not just the Tinto Fino. Unlike Pingus, which pushes the boundaries of Tinto Fino’s power, Psi aims to express the region’s soul and reflect Ribera’s diverse heritage with a more elegant, balanced expression. It is fermented in concrete and aged mainly in large wooden casks. In the winery, Sisseck eschews many of the modern techniques and instead focuses on simple, traditional winemaking techniques, such as long, gentle macerations to get the most delicate extraction possible. The result is a somewhat restrained, compact style of Ribero del Duero, very black-fruited with wild blackberry and black currant. Faint earthy undertones are woven through the core of the wine, but the dominant character wine is elegance and power, knitted together in equal parts. The old vines have clearly provided a lot of raw intensity and depth, but the palate feel has finesse, with well-integrated tannins. This is such an exciting project from Sisseck and one that seems to get better every vintage.