2021 Cillar de Silos “Joven de Silos” Tinto Fino, Ribera del Duero, Spain

Ribera del Duero is an important wine zone in Castilla y León, in north-central Spain that challenged Rioja as the leading red wine-producing region in Spain. Ribera del Duero spans the upper valley of the River Duero (known as Douro in Portugal). Cillar de Silos is run by the Aragon family that have produced wines on their own estate since building their own bodega in 1994. Previously, they were typical growers working their own land and selling fruit to the local co-op. Nowadays, things have changed, low-cropped, with organic best practice farming and sensitive handling in the purpose-built winery on the property. Local Tinto Fino (synonym for Tempranillo in the region) vines are planted on poor sand/clay soils at 860-900 metres in altitude in 'the roof of Ribera del Duero' in small plots scattered through the hills surrounding the villages of Quintana del Pidio and Gumiel de Mercado.  Why do we like it? The Joven de Silos is a wine made without any news of oak. The idea is to show the attributes of Ribera del Duero. The low yields help to have a smooth and fantastic texture of tannins. The fruit is bright with ripe blackberry, dark plums and boysenberry. Grape            Tempranillo Country        Spain                                  Region          Ribera del Duero                       Vintage         2021