Description

Hacienda Monasterio is one of the great names in Ribera del Duero. Located close to the villages of Pesquera de Valbuena del Duero on the so-called Golden Mile, the estate covers 170 hectares, its vines all north facing, with plots of Cabernet, Merlot and Malbec complementing the Tinto Fino. Peter Sisseck, who actually lives on the estate, is a consultant winemaker here and it should therefore come as no huge surprise that the quality of the wines is of the highest rank. The wines (only crianza and reserva wines are produced) are matured in one-year-old Bordeaux casks and are consistently amongst the region’s finest.

Tasting Notes

The difference between the 2016 Reserva and the regular Hacienda Monasterio (the wine labeled as Crianza in the past), is that they select the grapes from the parts of the vineyard where there is more limestone in the soil. It’s mostly Tinta del País (a.k.a. Tempranillo) with 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and it fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts, then matured for 20 months in French barriques, 40% new. The oak is perfectly integrated, and the wine has an impressive nose with more red than black fruit, denoting freshness. It’s quite polished and has very elegant tannins. This is a superb vintage for this bottling—the Cabernet Sauvignon is very integrated with the Tempranillo and complements it. It’s powerful but has terrific balance and great finesse. This is my favorite vintage of the Reserva. It’s a modern version of the 1996, a wine that I’m very fond of. It’s the idea that I have of a wine from Ribera del Duero. Bravo! [96 Points, Luis Gutierrez – June 2021, robertparker.com]