Score: 92/100
Alejandro Fernandez of Grupo Pesquera is a Spanish winemaking icon, having been an early pioneer in the Ribera del Duero appellation of the Catilla y Leon region.
His Tinto Pesquera is made from 100% local Tinto Fino grape variety (more famous as Tempranillo) aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels.
This wine is part of our Top 100 Famous Wines A to Z, learn about the 99 others here:
Tasting Notes
This Spanish red comes in a very dark and Deep red color, great intensity! Nearly black to the core, dark red with hints of orange to the rim.
The nose also feels deep, very deep indeed, somewhat of a black hole of a wine, both charming from what feels like an endless depth, but also intriguing. At smelling it, you just want to dig in and see what’s in it!
The aromatic profile throws dominant notes of leather, like a fine hand-bag leather, or a luxury car’s interior. Uncommon at this level of intensity in a wine, but refined and pleasant.
There are profound tart cherry liqueur notes too, plenty of peppery spices as well as the sweet ones: chili-like black pepper aromas, clove, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Some oak, vanilla and caramel, a touch of smokiness. A complete, layered, and complex nose!
Put the wine in your mouth, and you discover that this tempting exploration of an intriguing universe was well worth it, and that it’s even more pleasant a journey than anticipated.
The palate is full and rounded, filled with dense velvety tannins and an oily body, both coating your mouth in a sensation of great smoothness. Smooth and full at the same time. Those are the keywords to describe 2014 Tinto Pesquera Crianza.
Flavors of leather again, dark chocolate, blackberry and dark cherry liqueur, combined with intense mixed spices, are all very powerful and driven by what appears like a strong dense wine in a typical Spanish fashion. Yet, all successive layers of flavors, and there are many you can taste one after the other, are all delivered with a sense of control.
Overall
Controlled strength and power. An iron fist in a velvet glove is what best describes this wine…
A very characterful Ribera del Duero DO wine. Somewhat austere from its dryness and apparent savoriness, it does give the feeling it was made with much respect for the expression of grapes grown in difficult conditions on a rugged terroir. In a way, it feels rough and ready, but that’s exactly what gives all the uniqueness to its character.
Care and effort have been added on top of this, to give it an overall super-smooth velvety feel, fruity generosity, and plenty of spiciness from ageing in wood.
Yes, this is definitely a wine to experience, and find out for yourself how much you like it…
Serving/Decanting Tip
Decant this wine a solid hour before enjoying. Let the wine breathe and open up to its full generosity. The tight animal nose as described loosens up, revealing more layers of complexity with some oxygen and time.
Enjoy 🙂
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