Telmo Rodriguez Ribera del Duero Matallana 2022 750ml

The current release from Ribera del Duero is the 2022 Matallana, the only wine they produce in the appellation, mixing origins and soils from five different villages—Sotillo de la Ribera, Roa, Fuentecén, Fuentemolinos and Pardilla. It fermented in oak and stainless steel vats and matured in French oak barrels of different ages for 14 months. It’s a serious and traditional Ribera, with power, the concentration from the year and the elegant rusticity from the zone. But it doesn’t feel like a wine from a warm vintage, and IT WAS warm, extremely warm. The harvest started eight days earlier than in 2021, denoting a warmer year. The grapes—a Tempranillo-based field blend that also contains some Garnacha, Bobal and Albillo—delivered a wine with 14.5% alcohol, a pH of 3.72 and 4.34 grams of acidity. It’s serious, harmonious and very balanced, with fine-grained tannins. It’s a triumph over the adverse conditions of the year. 23,883 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2024.