2014 Carravid Ribera del Duero DO Spain 750 ml

Concentration, Age-Worthiness, & Value

We had been in Ribera del Duero for several days, and as often happens when we visit this sweeping region southwest of Rioja, our palates were exhausted in the best possible way.

What makes Ribera del Duero such a standout is that it remains one of the best wine bargains in the world. Toward the end of our trip, we stopped by Bodegas Vinalba Herraiz, and fell so hard for the 2014 Carravid bottling that we couldn’t help ourselves: We bought the entire allotment. This national exclusive drips with cassis, dried cherry, cedar, sandalwood, and leather before letting rugged, earthy tannins drive the finish.

For less than $25 a bottle, Carravid delivers a quintessentially Ribera-style Tempranillo that finds a magnificent balance between density, ripeness, concentration, and laser-like precision, all of it carried on tannins that will allow it to age for years but that are still deliciously approachable right now. A similar bottle with a “Rioja” stamp would easily cost three to four times as much.

Which is exactly what winemaker Miguel Angel Penalba Martinez, who has spent his whole life in the region, aimed to achieve with Carravid. His signature red marries New World drinkability with earthy, Spanish sophistication, and makes Carravid a dangerous bottle—you take a single sip, and the next thing you know, the entire bottle is empty.

Wine Enthusiast praised its “ripe, meaty aromas of black fruit and oak” that finds a “nice balance between ripeness and structure” and finish “with chocolaty oak and savory berry flavors.” Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate called it “quite ripe and a bit heady and warm,” which is exactly what has made the region so beloved since it earned D.O. status 37 years ago.

Rioja may be more well-known, but there’s a legitimate argument to be made that Tempranillo reaches its apex of expressive richness here.

The old-vine Tempranillo and “the combination of climate, altitude, soil and winemakers’ dedication creates wines that are simultaneously powerful and elegant,” Wine Enthusiast wrote in its announcement of Ribera del Duero as their 2012 Wine Region of the Year adding, “They are international in style, yet distinctly Spanish at the same time, and a rightful source of national pride.” Martinez works with vines from 56 to 63 years old, and ages Carravid in 50% new French oak and 50% used American and Hungarian oak, which imbue it with a combination of baking spice and earthy nuance.

Long after leaving the postcard sweep of the river and the endless plates of jamon iberico, one sip of the Carravid in our brightly lit offices immediately transported back to Northern Spain. Great wines like this one have the ability to do that.