2014 Abadia Retuerta Seleccion Especial Vino de la Tierra Castilla y Leon 750 ml

Brilliant Discovery of a Ribera del Duero Lookalike

At the time when the borders were drawn around Spain’s prestigious Ribera del Duero DO—the region that includes legends like Pingus and Vega Sicilia—Abadía Retuerta was just outside the plans. For Wine Access clients, that’s a good thing: If the dense, structured, and plush 2014 Abadia Retuerta Selección Especial Vino de la Tierra wore a Ribera del Duero label, it would command twice the price. $24.99 per bottle on a case or more, shipping included on 4 bottles.

How can it be that a winery whose single-vineyard offerings qualify for Spain’s lofty Pago designation could be left out of the DO altogether? It’s nothing more than a simple case of poor timing. Abadía Retuerta was founded in 1996 on land that had been producing grapes nearly continuously since the 1600s. But the borders for Ribera del Duero were drawn in 1982, during one of the rare times in the past four centuries when there were no grapes growing in the area near Retuerta. Just like that, the Ribera DO was defined, and the most historic grape-growing soils in Castilla y Leon were on the outside.

So what does that mean? It means that the rich, textured, and opulent 2014 Abadía Retuerta Selección Especial Vino de la Tierra is not, technically speaking, a Ribera del Duero wine. It also means that inside a bottle labeled Castilla y Leon, is every bit of richness, texture, and opulence for which Ribera is now world-famous. For lovers of Spanish reds, this one is a no-brainer. For lovers of California Cabernet who rarely venture to the Old World, this is your invitation: It’s got dark, rich fruit accented by floral notes and cedar spice, and beautifully integrated oak.

Abadía Retuerta is one of the most successful producers in the Duero Valley, where baking hot summers and chilly winters create ideal conditions for the Tempranillo, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon that make up the Selección Especial. Aged in French and American oak for 16 months, Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate knows the Retuerta is a crowd-pleaser, saying this luscious and textured red “has all the ingredients to be a great commercial success.” Ribera and its outlying areas are considered the California Cabernet drinker’s entrance to the Old World: The red wines display everything that Napa is known for, except for the hefty price.

In the World Atlas of Wine, Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson MW call Spain’s Ribera del Duero “the modern red wine miracle of northern Spain” because of its rapid ascent from anonymous region to one of Spain’s most revered. On the very next page, Johnson and Robinson acknowledge that the Ribera DO excludes two of the most reliable producers in the area. The very first jilted producer they mention is Abadía Retuerta. Finding a wine at this quality and price does not happen every day. Don’t let this one slide by.