Our wine team tastes somewhere around 3,000 wines per year.

Most of the time, they just take a sip. For samples that require deeper consideration, they might work their way through a glass.

The ultra-rare exception is a wine like the luscious, smoky, violet-kissed 2018 Bodegas Trus Crianza Ribera del Duero—where a sip or a single glass just won't do. "I almost drank the entire bottle by myself," says VP of Wine Laura Koffer, calling this high-altitude 100% Tempranillo "rich and bold but also VERY drinkable and a fantastic value for the money."

One of the best Ribera del Duero deals of the vintage, this wine racked up 96 points and a Gold Medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards. “A plush and fabulous expression of variety and provenance,” raved the judges. “Be warned—one glass will quickly be followed by the next,” they continued, confirming what we found in our tasting.

The 2018 Trus is a testament to the seductiveness that Spain’s Ribera del Duero region can achieve. This area boasts some of the highest vineyards in Europe, supplying wines like this one with remarkable freshness and lift. Drawn off five sites at around 2,600 feet in elevation, made entirely from Tempranillo, the Trus sings in the glass, suffused with floral brightness and a finish that’s supple and light on its feet.

In Ribera, Mother Nature throws the kitchen sink at these deep-rooted vines, which are up to 40 years in age. They endure bitter winters, sweltering sun, and extreme temperature variation throughout the day. That crucible vests the Trus with tremendous intensity.

Owner Javier Palacios, who takes his terroir-transparent cues from Burgundy, works with famed Chilean enologist Pedro Parra and Italian winemaker Alberto Antonini to balance these elements of power and elegance in perfect proportion.

Only a couple hundred cases of this winner made it into the US. We grabbed the lion’s share, making this one Spanish deal you can’t let get away.

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