2015 Hacienda Monasterio Crianza Ribera del Duero DO Spain 750 ml

Voluptuous and Vibrant, A Spanish Powerhouse Reaches For the Crown

If you want a Spanish red with the pedigree, voluptuous power, and mouth-filling richness of the legendary Vega Sicilia at a fraction of the price, it doesn’t get much closer than Hacienda Monasterio. “They are year in and year out, among the best and most reliable wines from Ribera del Duero” says Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, which also calls the velvet-textured wines “one of the most classical expressions” of the region.

Visionary consulting winemaker Peter Sisseck, the mastermind behind Pingus, Spain’s most expensive wine, is also behind the explosive success Hacienda Monasterio. From the beginning of his tenure he has modeled Hacienda Monasterio—which once belonged to Vega Sicilia—on its iconic predecessor’s strengths.

This has not been lost on critics like Jeb Dunnuck, who awarded 95 points to the 2015 Crianza, calling it a “blockbuster” and “full-bodied, deep, concentrated, and elegant."

According to many Spanish wine commentators today, Hacienda Monasterio is an estate capable of going toe-to-toe with Vega Sicilia, Spain’s critical colossus. The similarities between the two wineries are not superficial but in fact bone-deep: Hacienda Monasterio used to belong to Vega Sicilia in the 19th century. When consulting winemaker Peter Sisseck first came to Monasterio from Bordeaux in the 1990s, he got plant material from Vega Sicilia, and emulated the estate’s mix of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The two wineries are not far from each other, with Monasterio located in the “Golden Mile” area of Ribera del Duero. Taste the wines side by side, and Hacienda Monasterio boasts the same gorgeous black olive and citrus aromatics and thrilling levels of dense black fruit concentration. But instead of an arm and a leg, today’s 95-point wine will cost you nothing more than a Cru Bourgeois.  

Hacienda Monasterio’s terroir is as good as it gets in Ribera del Duero, boasting south-facing slopes that result in deep, rich ripeness in warm vintages. Chalky soils and no irrigation help provide the wines with that propulsive power and voluminous body, but it’s up to Sisseck to maintain the estate’s identity through vintages both hot and cold. That he does, according to Wine Spectator, who called him a winemaker who “produces consistently outstanding quality.”

The heft and power come quite literally with the territory, but it’s been Sisseck’s genius to infuse the wines with freshness and vibrancy without losing one iota of that broad-shouldered tannic structure.

Whenever he can, Sisseck does things as they were done in the old days. Ask him about why he chose to make wines in Spain and he’ll go on about the old soul of the country, the ancient vineyards, the culture passed down from generation to generation, one sun-browned hand to another. Higher portions of whole clusters, gentler macerations yielding purer juice, and use of larger, older French barrels, plus 100% organic viticulture have made for a wine with cutting-edge finesse, yet grounded in the wisdom of the past.