Ribera del Duero Flashcards
Pablo Alvarez
Unassuming General Director of Vegas Siclia and producer of Unico, a Tempranillo blend widely revered as Spain’s finest wine.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 1982
A very great year, the best since 1970, with plenty of Reserva wines.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 1986
Good in Rioja but outshone by Riberas of complexity and power.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 1989
Plenty of rich and charming wines from both regions.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 1990
Another large and fine quality crop in all areas.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 1991
An excellent year in Spain, only a small crop but impressive weight and structure.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 1992
This looked good until prolonged rains, which diluted the grapes and encouraged rot. Early maturing. Should have been drunk.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 1993
Heavy harvest rains again. Good but not great seems the rule.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 1994
Quality isn’t a problem but quantity is after spring frosts and summer drought. Some very nice wines indeed.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 1995
Another frost-shrunk crop in Ribera del Duero, although the grapes were riper and probably better balanced than in 1994. Rioja’s bodegas, on the other hand, were swollen by an enormous harvest of ripe, healthy grapes.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 1996
Particularly successful in Ribera del Duero, where ripe, relatively friendly wines were made.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 1997
Rain at harvest. Not glorious.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 1998
Despite spring frosts, yields were still too high to ripen some grapes sufficiently in Ribera del Duero. Quantity was also Rioja’s strong suit.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 1999
April frost in Rioja delayed ripening of grapes that suffered thanks to summer rains. Better quality in Ribera del Duero, however, although harvest rain reduced acidity. Good quality but not quite as good as 1998.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 2000
Record crop levels and extremely variable quality with exceptionally high summer temperatures and in many cases a lack of concentration. Some very good wines from Ribera del Duero though.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 2001
Smaller-than-usual crop because of spring frosts but distinctly superior quality accentuated in some cases by further deliberate crop thinning. Some very fine wines.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 2002
Exceptionally cold winter and spring was followed by nasty wet weather during summer - disastrous for both quality and quantity. Rain persisted even during harvest. Truly a severe test for both regions.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 2003
Small, early, drought-plagued harvest of often unbalanced wines.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 2004
Very good year, especially for Rioja, with wines that should last well.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 2005
Another good vintage with high temperatures but with (just) enough rain.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 2006
Some spring hail in Rioja. Hot summer with some drought stress. Has not lived up to the two previous vintages.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 2007
After a miserable summer, frost on 24 September decimated the crop from many young Ribera del Duero vineyards. Most grapes struggled to ripen but late pickers were rewarded. Not a stellar year though.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 2008
Very good quality for Rioja, with favourable weather throughout autumn. In Ribera del Duero, temperatures were cooler than normal, giving a slow, balanced ripening process and elegant wines as a result.
Rioja and Ribera del Duero- 2009
Very hot conditions gave average temperatures above the infamous 2003 vintage. However, timely rains in Rioja and Ribera del Duero relieved the vines and rescued the vintage. Very good quality.
