2014 JC Vizcarra Ribera del Duero 750 ml

Mountain Purity, Spanish Tenacity

Ribera del Duero is home to the highest red wine vineyards in all of Europe; the vines harvested for this 2014 JC Vizcarra sit at roughly 2,800 feet in elevation—for context, the highest vineyards planted in Napa top out around 2,600 feet. High elevation translates to purity of fruit, good acid and powerful tannins, all hallmarks of balanced wines. The “JC” behind the label is Juan Carlos Vizcarra, and he’s crafting some of The Wine Advocate’s favorite wines from Ribera. The Advocate has praised Vizcarra’s releases as “sensational values,” writing that “it is rare to find such delicious Ribera del Duero priced under $35,” further gushing that “Bodegas Vizcarra Ramos is staking a claim as one of the finest estates in Ribera del Duero.” So, a 100% Tempranillo grown on the elevated plateaus of Ribera del Duero, cultivated by one of Spain’s most exacting garagiste pioneers? Packed with palate-staining concentration and crushed black-fruit preserves? A 92-point rave from Vinous for its “smoky finish, which hangs on with impressive, dark-fruit-driven tenacity”? This is an absolute jewel—available exclusively on Wine Access.

Back in 1991, when Juan Carlos Vizcarra founded his winery, Ribera del Duero hardly even registered as a dot on the world’s wine map. Following in the steps of his father, who made wine in the region in the 1980s, Vizcarra arose as one of the forerunners of the garagiste movement in Spain, dedicated to small production wines and unsparing rigor in the vineyards. Over the decades, his top wines have competed with the country’s legends such as Vega-Sicilia’s Único, while his entry-level wines have few equals. Robert Parker has described Vizcarra’s releases as “sensational values,” writing that “it is rare to find such delicious Ribera del Duero priced under $35.”

Ribera del Duero is home to the highest red wine vineyards in all of Europe; the vines harvested for this bottle sit at roughly 2,800 feet in elevation. The exposure and coolness of the raised plateaus complement the region’s extreme Continental climate, sweltering by day and chilly by night. Rainfall is limited, but the limestone-clay soil is adept at retaining it. These conditions make for a lengthy growing season that allows grapes to reach perfect phenolic maturity and ripeness, distilled in a knock-your-socks-off aromatic bouquet, as complex as it is heady.

Vizcarra is relentless in the fields, thinning clusters per vine from 20 to 8, forcing the 30- to 80-year-old vines to squeeze every ounce of concentration into the remaining berries, lending them awesome intensity. His approach in the cellar is far gentler; instead of punching down or pumping, he relies on gravity alone to move wine from fermenter to barrel, resulting in a Ribera del Duero that maintains its delicate fruit complexity, purity, and finesse.

Drink now for its bright blackberry primacy or let it gain power over the next seven years. However you cut it, it’s a no-brainer for Spanish collectors and European red enthusiasts.

- Wine Access Wine Team