Bodegas Antidoto 2014 Ribera del Duero "Antidoto" 750ml

I loved the nose of the 2014 Antídoto, which is Tempranillo produced from grapes from the Soto de San Esteban zone in the Soria province, the cooler part of Ribera del Duero. They are slowly increasing the 600-liter barrels they use (perhaps 30% this year) and the rest of the wine aged in well-seasoned, quite neutral 225-liter Bordeaux barrels. This is all produced with purchased grapes with some 30% of them coming from the vineyards owned by David Hernando. I found it very perfumed and open, with character, no oak whatsoever and a wild side to it that made me think of a northern Rhône, somehow herbal (think raspberry leaf!). The palate is medium-bodied with fine-gained tannins and very good balance and freshness, approachable but with enough concentration and seriousness to be able to stand to food and age in bottle for a few years. The nose and palate are consistent with each other: you find what you expect. I see a huge increase in quality in this vintage. I sampled an unbottled 2015, and even though there was some oxidation in the nose (something I often find in the unbottled reds and makes me reluctant to score samples), the palate showed compact, a little riper and more immediate. Very good value. 80,000 bottles produced.

Score: 92+ points -- Luis Gutiérrez, RobertParker.com, Feb 2017