Lopez Cristobal have been growing grapes since the time that Ribera del Duero received it's DO status, but only under their own name since 1994. With 70 hectares of vines (mostly Tinta del País (Tempranillo) with a little bit of Merlot and Albillo Mayor for 'nuance') the vineyard has improved dramatically since the first days of Ribera wines.
This wine, La Linde, is made with 95% Tinta del País and 5% Merlot. The grapes are hand-picked and undergo a rigorous table selection before fermentation at 23° no less - but that's enough of the tech jargon!
It first entices you with it's brilliant red cherry colour, with hues of purple, leading to aromas of berries (strawberry and wild berries) with a touch of oak. The palate is fresh and fleshy and quite complex, offering strawberries, cherries and a touch of spice with subtle hints of toasty oak (and they are subtle hints only, as this is a 'Roble' wine - it only spends 3 months in oak of 1 to 3 years old).
It is finely structured with soft tannins and impressive length.
It pairs brilliantly with a huge range of foods but has loads of fruit so can stand on it's own also.
A real crowd pleaser!
Alc. Vol. 14.5%
Last Tasted: January 2024
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