“Ribera del Duero is a complex and sophisticated wine, a wine that demands particular attention and rewards those who take it seriously.” – Stephen Tanzer
The Cruz de Alba 2019 is a red wine produced in the Ribera del Duero wine region of Spain. This region is renowned for producing some of Spain’s finest reds, thanks to its unique terroir and favourable climate.
The Cruz de Alba 2019 is produced from Tempranillo grapes, the most widely grown variety in the region. It was aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels, which gave it woody, spicy notes.
On to the tasting:
On the nose, beyond the red fruit, you can pick out vanilla and spice.
The robe is dark, and it announces its colours: on the palate you won’t be disappointed — this 2019 is full-bodied with a touch of acidity, but balanced. You’ll note a quick passage through the length; clearly that isn’t this wine’s strong point.
This wine was chosen by one of my friends during a meal. Even though the wine was enjoyed by everyone around the table, notably for its respectful tannins, it’s the meal among friends that will stay in my memory. Then again, would I have remembered the wine without my friends? That’s less certain.
It’s really the place and the good company that made this wine mark our memories of that get-together. It accompanied us effectively and left us with a pleasant memory. Not a false note alongside our meat-based dishes.
At around €15 a bottle, it will go with a good meal but also work as a tasting wine. Don’t keep it too long — it isn’t necessary; it’s already very pleasant.
Vino Orgánico:
We noticed that this wine carries “biodynamic wines” on its label. These wines are similar to organic wines, but they’re produced according to stricter, more holistic principles. Biodynamic wine producers take the vine’s whole ecosystem into account — the soil, the surrounding plants and the animals — in order to produce a wine in harmony with its environment.
It’s possible that the Cruz de Alba 2019 is a biodynamic wine but, despite my research, I haven’t found information on its production method, so it’s hard to confirm with certainty.
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