2016 Boedgas PradoRey Real Sitio de Ventosilla Finca Valdelayegua Ribera del Duero Crianza 750 ml

From the rugged, high-altitude land that produces Spain’s First Growths, this value stunner showcases the same terroir as Vega Sicilia and Tinto Pesquera in a bottle that costs under $30. 

Grown on a single sun-streaked vineyard perched at 2,670 feet, the craftsmanship and low-yielding terroir behind this PradoRey release make it a bold, luscious competitor to Napa’s richest Cabernets. But while the voluptuous concentration of California’s heavyweights and Spanish icons might cost you $80+, we've got today’s Spanish bargain for much less.

Wine Enthusiast praised this sumptuous Tempranillo blend as “exuberant” with “very firm tannins and crisp acidity.” Just 480 cases made it to U.S. shores, so our allocation is strictly first-come, first-serve. Stock up while the offer lasts today.

PradoRey was written in this region’s history books long before Ribera del Duero was being talked about as the source of Spain’s most powerful and full-bodied wines. Here, where “a number of Spain’s legendary bodegas are based,” according to Vinous, PradoRey’s legacy dates back to 1503. Formerly owned by Queen Isabella I of Castile, the winery left the hands of the crown in 1921. The late agronomist Javier Cremades de Adaro took over in 1989, and began expanding the vineyard holdings to tap the best terroirs.

A land of extremes, Ribera del Duero’s vineyards endure sweltering summers and bitter, snowy winters, and that severity of climate gives this 2016 its incredible depth. While the main ripening period of Rioja or Bordeaux is around 40 days, for PradoRey that window is extended to 60 days, resulting in incredible purity and unparalleled intensity. 

The outstanding quality of this Valdelayegua Crianza is so impossible to miss, it became the talk of the table at a Napa dinner party this spring. In a breezy backyard illuminated by swinging lanterns, an assortment of top wine industry professionals anointed it the best-drinking bottle of the night, besting a number of blue-chip labels from both sides of the Atlantic. Before the strawberry shortcake was even served, we’d tracked down the importer and jotted off an email to get in touch ASAP. 

The winemaking team sculpts classic, densely powerful wines with a deeply traditional approach, aging in centuries-old earthenware jars and fermenting with native yeasts. This particular bottle is formed from the best grapes culled from one site, Valdelayegua, where the clay-limestone soils are similar to what you find in Burgundy’s Vosne-Romanée. The terroir was defined millions of years ago by the currents of the nearby Gromejón River, infusing this red with fine riverbed minerality.

Royal history, single-vineyard focus, high-altitude sophistication—it’s the recipe for one of the Ribera del Duero’s most expressive bottles. Today, it’s also one of Spain’s best deals.