Bodega Diaz Bayo Ribera del Duero Roble 2017

After falling in love with the outstanding 2016 Diaz Bayo Ribera del Duero Roble, we could only hope that one day we would find another vintage of Diaz Bayo Roble as astounding as their 2016. It didn’t take long. Although the 2017 vintage in Ribera del Duero was one of the most difficult due to spring frosts and drought conditions, which reduced yields, the result was outstanding quality and the 2017 Diaz Bayo Ribera del Duero Roble being every bit as compelling as its older sibling. The 2017 Diaz Bayo Ribera del Duero Roble offers seductive aromas of black cherry and mulberry mingled with hints of spice and mineral. In the mouth, the 2017 Diaz Bayo Roble caresses the palate with seductive fruit flavors and gentle spice tones, followed by ripe, silky tannins that add energy and lift. The 2017 Diaz Bayo Roble presents itself as a traditional style of Ribera del Duero, meaning a wine of considerable flavor and substance, yet it possesses freshness and a lithe spirit rarely seen in other Ribera del Duero wines. For optimal enjoyment we suggest serving Diaz Bayo’s charming 2017 Ribera del Duero Roble at cool room temperature (58°-62° F). Enjoy!

Diaz Bayo’s 2017 Ribera del Duero Roble makes a splendid companion to meats, cheeses, pastas and rich sauces. Beef, especially steak or pot roast, certainly has its place alongside this flavorful Ribera del Duero. Pepper Grilled Flank Steak with chimichurri, white bean poblano fritters and Jicama slaw provides a fine accompaniment to Diaz Bayo’s flavor-packed Ribera del Duero Roble. Another favorite accompaniment is Harissa Chicken, roasted free range chicken with Ajvar yogurt, Moroccan pearl couscous, and grilled eggplant and zucchini. Country cassoulets made with beans and sausages as well as traditional paellas made with chicken, shrimp and scallops also make excellent companions for Ribera del Duero. Paella might come as a surprise to some, but we have come to crave authentic paella with young Ribera del Duero. Duck, quail or pheasant confit and many white bean and shredded chicken dishes with tomatoes, onions, and peppers also provide tasty companions. For those who prefer contemporary American fare, pork or beef sliders offer good company to Diaz Bayo’s Ribera del Duero Roble. And if your culinary acumen is somewhat lacking, no need to worry; a host of cheeses will shine alongside a bottle of Diaz Bayo’s 2017 Roble.

Spain’s artisan cheeses make splendid accompaniments to Diaz Bayo’s 2017 Ribera del Duero Roble. Consider Mahón, Manchego, or lesser known but equally compelling Spanish cheeses such as Arzúa-Ulloa and Idiazábal. A farmhouse Cheshire or Swiss Appenzeller pairs beautifully with this Tempranillo as well. To learn more about the world’s finest cheeses, contact us at www.cheesemonthclub.com.

Bodega Diaz Bayo has become a favorite among our club members. And we know why. Few bodegas can match the quality and value that this venerable property is turning out. Moreover, the Diaz Bayo family are hardly newcomers to Ribera del Duero. They have been perennial growers for more than ten generations in the village of Fuentelcésped, where viticulture dates to the 1100s and Spain’s Reconquest of the Duero Valley from the Moors. Ideal conditions for vines abound, too, in and around Fuentelcésped along the Arroyo de la Nava, a high valley just ten miles to the southeast of modern-day Aranda de Duero, an area renowned for its full-bodied red wines. Here the Diaz Bayo estate comprises nearly 100 acres in multiple high elevation parcels ranging between 2,800 and 3,200 feet in elevation on soil types encompassing limestone, marl and clay. Varied soils and exposures further contribute to the vines’ fruit diversity and extended harvest times. The age of Díaz Bayo’s vines, the great majority old-clone Tinta del País (aka Tempranillo), ranges from 12 to 100 years, with the average being well over 50 years of age, resulting in bold, concentrated wines.

Viticulture at Díaz Bayo is organic. The modern bodega includes conical oak barrels, cement and steel tanks for fermentation of the estate’s distinct vineyard parcels, each according to the type of wine being produced. Barriques, primarily French oak from multiple producers, are also part of the equation. Extreme altitude and soil types combined with sensitive winemaking that expresses the deep minerality of the region’s soils lead to full-bodied, balanced wines.

Enologist Isaac Fernández divides Díaz Bayo’s production among three superb red wines, all offering excellent quality and value: Tinto Roble (this month’s feature) spends at least 6 months in barrique and an additional six months in bottle; Tinto Crianza, which enjoys a 12-month hiatus in barrique followed by 12 months in bottle before release; and the estate’s Tinto Reserva, with 20 months in barrique and an additional 24 months in bottle.

Located in the heart of Spain in the ancient realm of Castile and León, Ribera del Duero has been a center of wine production for thousands of years. Today, Ribera del Duero remains one of the most important wine regions in Spain, as it is the spiritual home of Tempranillo, Spain’s most venerable red grape variety and the source of many of Spain’s greatest wines. Here the iconic Tempranillo, also known locally as Tinto Fino and Tinta del País, reaches its pinnacle and demonstrates to the world its inherent virtue.

Ribera del Duero occupies the hills and high meseta to the northeast of the city of Valladolid and stretches out along the Duero River, Spain’s most beloved waterway. Not surprisingly, the region draws its name from the venerable Duero that plays an important role in the region’s terroir. It seems that the soil of Ribera del Duero bears more than a passing resemblance to that of France’s Burgundy, with a wide range of chalk, clay, marl and gravel, combined together in varying degrees of prominence. However, whereas Burgundy’s soil complexity results from plate tectonics, the soil in Ribera del Duero results from the Duero’s erosion through the sedimentary layers of the Castilian meseta. The Duero River may likely play a role, as well, in moderating the rather harsh continental climate of the region, an area known for its dry, hot summers and cold winters. Add altitude (2,500-3,300 feet) and the intense luminosity of the Spanish meseta to the region’s exemplary terroir, and it becomes apparent that Ribera del Duero possesses all the attributes needed to showcase the beauty of Spain’s quintessential grape variety.

Although Tempranillo provides heart and soul to nearly all the wines of Ribera del Duero, the Denominacion de Origen (DO) does permit small quantities of other grape varieties to appear in the appellation’s red wines, most notably Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Grenache. There is, however, no requirement that Ribera del Duero contain any grape other than Tempranillo. Consequently, there is no one magic formula. However, what is certain is that worldwide demand for the great wines of Ribera del Duero will continue to grow as the cadre of astute producers in the zone, like Diaz Bayo, continue to push the envelope on quality. Moreover, the relative value of the voluptuous red wines of Ribera del Duero are second to none. Allow the finest red wines of Ribera del Duero a few years in bottle and ample aeration prior to serving, and they will more than handsomely reward the patient imbiber.