Over the last year Ribera Del Duero has gone from a complete unknown to one of my absolute favorite regions. Something about that mouthwatering acidity…
I’m looking for recommendations on wines from this region that I might be able to find in America. We can also use this as a general ‘What Ribera Del Duero are you drinking tonight thread’
Here are 2 of my recent favorites:
Drank this last month. A stalwart for good value in RdD.
Pago de Carraovejas makes some good stuff and is pretty widely available. Haven’t had them personally, but have heard good things about Aalto.
Not RdD (they’ve declined to use the designation) but I also really like Abadía Retuerta. And of course, there is also Vega Sicilia. 
Unfortunately, too many of the small producers I like don’t make it over here.
We’ve been up the Ribera a couple of times, and the wine is far too old-world for me.
Yes, the wines are high acid and very dry. I’ll stick to Ports, thank you.
2020 Dominio del Aguila Albillo Vinas Viejas was one my 2025 WOTYs. Gunflint, stone, kaleidoscopic candied citrus, vibrating acidity.
This cuvee was apparently the impetus for white Ribera del Duero to be designated under the appellation
I have got through quite a few of these over the last few months. It’s neither a rosé nor a red, but a clarete. For me it’s a very versatile wine.
Although WSPro isn’t showing that specific wine as available in the USA, it does list several claretes that are.
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/clarete+ribera+del+duero/1/usa
Can’t say “mouthwatering acidity” is what the region brings to mind for me, but I enjoy them. Aguila is a no-brainer. Try Perez Pascuas too.
This right here, with age these are my favorite ymmv.
Aalto was the ah-hah wine that got me into the region!
I find all RdDs to be higher in acid, especially when compared to Rioja. I’m curious what you find differently?
Jorge Monzon was one of the first to see Albillos potential. Having fought in the European courts to get Clarete recognized by the DO, and winning, it was just a natural next step.
He worked under Bernard Noblet at DRC helping with the whites. He was then brought back to Spain by Pablo Alvarez of Vega Siclia (DRC’s importer in Spain) to experiment making a white Unico. That didn’t work out and Jorge then managed neighboring Arzuaga’s winemaking, making an experimental white from Albillo there.
I remember visiting Dominio del Aguila in 2016, they had the whites hidden in a neighboring cave behind a rack of barrels. The DO considered these wines to be somewhat in a gray area, almost illegal. I tasted barrel samples of the 2012 and 2014 and was blown away. They will carry the Ribera del Duero DO label soon.
There are maybe 3 main types of RD for me.
The traditional styles that are aged for a long time in oak with red or black fruit. Similar to Rioja but a bit more hefty, and perhaps more Bordeaux like. For me those would be the old Pesqueras, Pingus, and Perez Pascuas come to mind.
The big powerful style with ripe black fruit and lavish creamy oak. Styles like Carraovejas, Aalto, Viña Sastre tend to go into that style.
Then there’s the fresher style with great acidity, built for the long term, but still has more structure than most Riojas. These would be like Dominio del Aguila
For me Vega Sicilia has its own style, and has gone through various interpretations of that style. My favorite by far has been those made under Mariano Garcia’s tenure.
great breakdown!
In my mind it is more of a spectrum with one end being more old world, savory qualities, some reduction, subdued fruit. The other end is the new world creamier style with purity of fruit. I have found my favorite wines sit somewhere in the middle.
Vega is a wine that I have not yet had the privilege of trying, and it sits on the top of my ‘money isn’t an option’ wine bucket list.
I think they have been designated under DO since 2019.
It was approved in 2019, but it won’t appear on Dominio del Aguila’s label for a while. Not sure why.
Same with Clarete. Since 2013, only they can state Clarete and Ribera del Duero on the label until the new rules come into effect.
If money isn’t an option then go for what I call the triumvirate: 1962, 1968, and 1970. My personal favorite is 1970 and is still the best Unico I’ve had. I also had a 1982 recently that was just beautiful.
Same
Some of the ones I like are Pago de Carraviejos, Hacienda Monasterio, and widely available Condado de Haza.
Aalto (and its PS bottling) and Flor de Pingus are great too, but have gotten pricey.
Here are a couple of Ribera’s I’ve had recently. Yes, it’s mostly Dominio del Aguila since I’m their importer in Panama.
On my last visit, Jorge mentioned his experimental whites. When I said I hadn’t tried them, he promised, “I’ll send you a few bottles in your next order.” Sure enough, three bottles showed up, each with a different label. I don’t know much about them, only that they’re special micro-lots of fewer than 300 bottles. They came from vintages with lower acidity that went through malolactic fermentation, made from a mix of local whites from very old vineyards, mostly Albillo with some Pirulés. Extremely floral, it crackles with toasted sesame oil, stone dust, lemon oil, and brined olives. Medium + in structure with a touch of creamy texture, it shows briny notes wrapped in fresh citrus and saline minerals on a high-pitched mid-palate. The finish is long and stony, with subtle hints of Indian spices.
