Aalto Ribera del Duero 2020 (750 ml)

"The Aalto was assembled and ready for bottling when I visited the winery. It is already showing great precision and focus on the nose with vanilla-tinged dark cherry and cassis fruit, followed by an undertow of candied orange peel. The palate is already displaying wonderful balance, with supple, very fine tannins and a luscious, sweet candied finish that offers blood orange and tangerine-infused dark fruit. There is a crisp theme of acidity to keep everything balanced. This is very promising. Drink 2016-2030".

– 92-94 points Neal Martin (Robert Parker, Wine Advocate)
"Opaque violet color. Ripe dark berry, cola and floral aromas, with a strong accent of incense. Fat, sweet and palate-staining, offering intense red and dark berry preserve flavors lifted by juicy acidity. Powerful yet comes off as quite graceful. Finishes very long and sweet, with supple tannins and persistent spiciness".

– 92 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar) About Aalto:

Patience is a virtue quoth an anonymous philosopher¦and yes he was right, but sometimes it’s difficult to wait. We all knew about Bodegas Aalto several years ago. This was the new Mariano Garcia winery in Ribera del Duero founded in 1998. We all knew about Spanish hero Mariano Garcia. Among other things, he was winemaker at the prestigious Vega Sicilia for 30 years. He made great wines at Bodegas Mauro in Tudela de Duero, just outside the Ribera del Duero zone. His San Roman from Toro was one of that area’s best. He did consultation work in Rioja and Bierzo. His partner in the Bodegas Aalto venture is Javier Zaccagnini who was head of the Consejo Regulador de la Denominacion de Origen Ribera del Duero from 1992-1998, a period which witnessed many of the great changes in the region. This gave him the opportunity to know all the best and oldest vineyards in Ribera del Duero.

Aalto is taking a no-holds barred approach to wine quality. Two different wines will be made. Aalto PS, the first wine, will be produced only in very good vintages, and by careful selection of the best wines made that year. They envisage offering this wine 6 or 7 vintages each decade. Aalto, the second wine will still be made with great care and to a high standard; if the vintage isn't good enough there's a possibility that neither wine will be made. The grapes used for the wine all come from very old Tinto Fino vines. Tinto Fino is the Ribera del Duero clone of Tempranillo. The first two vintages for Aalto were 1999 and 2000 and in such little time, they are earning the worlds respect as one of the best wineries.