Bodegas y Viñedos Valderiz Señorío De Valdehermoso Joven Ribera del Duero 2005 Tasting Notes

Like many Ribera del Duero reds, this wine is nicely packed with both red and black fruit, in this case plum, cherry, raspberry, and blackberry, with touches of white pepper, dried thyme leaves, nutmeg and cloves. The fruity acidity is of medium level. The tannins are nicely arrayed. They give this young wine a grip you don't quite expect. Tempranillo tannins tend to be restrained. It all adds up to a medium-bodied wine you don't want to pass through the mouth too quickly.

The real key to this wine, despite its overt youth, it's the sense of earth it brings across, despite the fermentation in 100% stainless steel and no aging to speak of. A winemaker's delight, the Tempranillo grape buds neither early nor late, and ripens early; in this case, the straightforward process in the vineyard has obviously been matched by a direct yet skilled handling in the winery.