Dominio de Pingus - Ribera del Duero Pingus 2021

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

Mr. Sisseck believes that the texture of the 2021 Pingus is the finest he has achieved since the beginning, and that Tempranillo lends itself very well to it. There is a chalky sensation, which is not surprising, as the bedrock is pure limestone—even though some plots (Barroso) have more clay on the surface, deep down there is hard limestone and a bit of sandstone. There is a sense of harmony and purity that I find in most of the 2021s. There is more depth, more concentration, and more tannins here, and this is a wine for the very long term; it is very, very young, but it is very harmonious and balanced. There is energy, strength, and power, but also a great deal of finesse. They have learned to control extraction, and all the grapes fermented with native yeasts (each plot ferments separately; there is no tank blending or anything else); they are very careful about deciding when to press, tasting frequently and with great precision, taking samples, and sitting down to taste every day after fermentation. He fermented the wine using about 30% of the clusters, which are selected at the sorting table when they spot a perfect cluster. They then perform a delicate punch-down (this wasn’t the case in 2022, but he did it in 2023). This is an extremely elegant and powerful Pingus, which should age very, very long in the bottle. It closely follows the style of the vintages I like best: 1996, 2016, and 2018. 7,974 bottles were bottled in June 2023. 2025–2045

Vinous

About the wine:

Pingus 2021 is a 100% Tempranillo wine sourced from selected four-hectare plots with clay-limestone soils in a vineyard planted in 1929 in La Horra, Ribera del Duero, and aged for 20 months in French oak barrels. The wine is garnet red with violet hues. The nuanced nose offers subtle yet alluring notes of tart cherry and violet. But it is on the palate that it reveals its true character: a combination of velvety and chalky textures, effervescent energy, and agile fluidity, leading to a long, savory finish. This complex red wine from Ribera del Duero lives up to its reputation, with its unique palate and dry yet velvety balance. It is a delicious and original interpretation of the region. 2025–2045

James Suckling

About the wine:

Violets, flint, graphite, dark chocolate, ink, and herbal notes such as tarragon. Black truffles. Tar and notes of sandalwood. Black tea. Medium-bodied, with very linear, tight, and polished tannins, and a fine, silky texture. This is a wine of endless depth and flawless character. Profound and absolute. Superb structure and balance. It needs at least six to eight years of bottle aging. Try it after 2032.