"For the ninth Ribera of Christmas my wine guy gave to me… a 2005 Resalte Crianza." In an effort to create high quality wines which would stand out in a highly competitive region, Bodegas Resalte de Peñafiel was founded as recently as the year 2000, and as a result of its youth, currently source their grapes from local growers. The 10-to-100-year-old 100% Tempranillo (Tinta del País) grapes are hand-picked and undergo considerable scrutiny before being chosen for Resalte, the wine considered the "maximum expression of the winery." The winery produces two wines in addition to Resalte (Peña Roble and Balsión) and the total annual production yields approximately 250,000 bottles – only 60,000 of which are Resalte Crianza.
The 2005 Resalte underwent fermentation in stainless steel and then a maceration of approximately 20-25 days. The wine then spends 15 months in French (80%) and American (20%) oak. For a Crianza (minimum 6 months in oak) this is considerable amount of time but not at all excessive. Garnet in the glass, this wine has an incredible and multifarious nose. Ripe red and black fruits (particularly blackberry) waft with hints of oak and smoke. On the palate, these fruits are met with hints of toasted oak, espresso, spice, and minerality. Nicely acidic with a prolonged, persistent finish.
I absolutely loved this wine! I anticipated something great so I whipped up a paella to enjoy with the wine. It was the perfect dish to complement this robust and powerful wine from Ribera. The 2005 Resalte was named number 26 on the 2010 Wine Spectator "Top 100 Wines" and was also the top ranking Ribera on the list. This wine has a new importer so you should be able to get your hands on one (and possibly some of their other wines) a little more readily. Retailing around $35 this wine is a treat and worth seeking out. You may want to buy two as you'll wish you had another bottle after drinking the first one!
Life is short. Drink Spanish wine!
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