Grapelive Daily Pick
By Kerry Winslow
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1995 Bodega Condado de Haza “Alenza” Ribera Del Duero, Spanish Red.
After 15 years from harvest and about 10 years since release this wine has become a wonderful and textured red that is as good and is as classy as a top Bordeaux and shows that Ribero Del Duero is one of the great regions of world. This wine, the Alenza, is procuced by the heroic Alejandro Fernandez, owner of this estate as well as the famed Pesquera, is barrel aged for about 30 months in American oak casks, and he says it is for purists. The Alenza is named after his wife Esperenza and himself, if you put their two names together. The nose shows some maturity and has some earthy and leathery notes before giving way to a beautifully layered Tempranillo that shows rich and lively flavors and solid structure. The palate has currant, plum and dark berry fruits all lush and fresh with touches of tobacco, mushroom, mineral, gunpowder and sweet and spicy oak shadings. Even after an hour, it remained fresh and vibrant, still pumping out lovely flavors and intriguing complexity. This is a very impressive effort and proved to me that a little looking for wines of this type will be rewarded and ofter super value for an aged wine. ($50-65 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive
*A few bottle were still at Rancho Cellars as of Jan.14th, 201. Please call 1-831-625-5646
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