2018 Dominio de Pingus Flor de Pingus Ribera del Duero 750 ml

There are a handful of wines that define Spain’s multi-century winemaking history: Vega Sicila’s Unico, Palacios’ L’Ermita, Artadi’s El Pison, and, of course, Pingus. To open these was a rare treat. Equally as thrilling is opening their under-the-radar “second wines.” These bottles always over deliver and create life-long admirers of Spain’s beautiful wine tradition without having to break the bank. 

Today, I’m thrilled to share that same opportunity with you: Flor de Pingus is here! 

Pingus founder Peter Sisseck arrived from Denmark to Ribera del Duero in the early 1990s. While working for some of the region's best wineries he fell in love with the ancient vines of the region. He sought out the old-vines and began his winery, named Pingus—his childhood nickname. He deployed modern techniques to the tiny output of these vines, resulting in richly complex and concentrated wines. The wines drip in black fruit and chocolate with a structured backbone bound together with flavors of crushed rock. 

His first vintage scored a 96-100 range from Robert Parker, grabbing the world’s attention and piquing curiosity about the old vines of the historic region. And when the ship transporting the wine to the US sank, the prices and demand skyrocketed.

Today, the production of Pingus remains tiny and restricted to the century-old estate vines. Luckily for us, he makes a “second-wine” from estate and contracted vineyards. As the Wine Advocate once said “In the price/quality sweepstakes, this might be Spain’s finest wine.”

The 2018 Flor de Pingus is a little lighter on its feet, while maintaining that concentration and power of the Peter Sisseck wine. It is beginning to give florals on the nose and raspberry on the palate with a finish of crushed red earth and tea leaves.