Dominio de Pingus Ribera del Duero PSI 2018 750ml

A rich red with chocolate, ripe fruit, walnuts and spice. Full-bodied and round with ripe tannins and a flavorful finish. Plenty of ripe fruit at the intense finish and lots of old-vine character with bark and wet-earth undertones. Real deal. Drink or hold.

I had already tasted the unbottled 2018 PSI, which saw a jump in quality after they got a new winery where they had much better working conditions. This wine is produced with purchased grapes from 200 hectares in around 750 plots and 20 different villages throughout Ribera del Duero (they now rent and work 50 hectares of these vineyards themselves). In 2018, they were able to use some 12% Garnacha and 2% other grapes, including whites that are found intermixed with the Tinta del País/Tempranillo in the old vineyards. Garnacha adds freshness, and the wine shows it—the character of the grape comes through in the blend. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured mostly in 5,000-liter and 10,000-liter oak vats, but 20% of the volume aged in used French barriques for 18 months. The color is quite light (relatively speaking), bright and lively, the nose perfumed, floral and elegant, like no PSI before. The palate is medium-bodied, with fine tannins, and it feels terribly balanced and beautifully textured. It's elegant more than powerful but full of energy. This is without a doubt the finest PSI to date. Viva Garnacha! 360,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2020.

Inky ruby. Highly perfumed cherry and dark berry scents are complemented by a suave floral nuance, and a spicy element adds lift. Silky, sharply focused and seamless on the palate, offering intense black and blue fruit flavors that deepen steadily as the wine opens up. Lush yet energetic in style, with solid closing thrust and supple tannins building slowly and adding gentle grip to the floral-driven finish.

Using organic and biodynamic viticultural practices, Psi offers a gutsy, expressive and value-driven voice to the Ribera del Duero region. This firm, focused, full-bodied red opens with solid depth of ripe black cherry fruit and enticing floral notes, supple tannins and a savoury finish.