Gary's Wine Club August 2009 Cellar Selection: 2005 Aalto Ribera del Duero

2005 Aalto Ribera del Duero
Grape variety: Tinto Fino
Region: Ribera del Duero, Spain
Food pairing: Grilled leg of lamb or chorizo
Chosen By: Rick Bedkowski, Wine Associate, Madison

Bodegas Aalto first made this wine in the 2000 vintage, and the wines continue to get better each year. But the 2005 is probably the best they've produced yet. It's no surprise since Mariano Garcia, Director of Vega Sicilia for 30 years, is part of the winemaking team. This wine is produced from 100% Tinto Fino grapes that have an average vine age of 60 years (some as old as 90 years.) After 23 months in oak barrels, the final result is a rather voluptuous wine loaded with crushed blackberry, blueberry, and cinnamon spice. Rick Bedkowski, wine associate in our Madison store, artist, and lover of Spanish wines and good tequila, chose this wine for its great balance. "Based on the deep-purple, almost ink-like color of the wine, I thought the mouthfeel would be massive, but it wasn't...which was nice. It was surprisingly well balanced with dark fruit, mild earthiness and soft tannins. And it would go great with some lamb."

More info: http://www.garyswine.com/fine_wine/spain/09838.html