Pingus 2012 PSI Ribera del Duero 1.5L

Critical Acclaim:

Brilliant ruby. Smoke-accented aromas of fresh red fruits, pipe tobacco, cedar and potpourri, with a suave vanilla quality in the background. Fleshy and seamless on the palate, with sweet cherry and mocha flavors and a touch of anise. Shows very good breadth and sweetness on the gently tannic finish, which leaves smoke and spicecake notes behind. Score: 91 points -- Vinous, Sep 2014

Let's start with the 2012 PSI, from an extremely dry vintage, produced with Tempranillo grapes with 5% Garnacha (a percentage that will be increased in the forthcoming vintages) that fermented in cement vats and aged for 18 months in a combination of used French barriques, oak foudres and cement vats. 150,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in May 2014 and it feels closed and inaccessible, a bit stubborn or perhaps suffering from the recent bottling. It takes a long time to open up, finally revealing a core of sweet red fruit and notes of flowers, perfectly integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied, delicious, more in line with the 2010s than with 2011s, sleek and pure, very balanced. It feels like a cool vintage, but it was not. A real triumph. Drink 2014-2017. Score: 92+ points -- Wine Advocate, Aug 2014