CASE PRICE = $89.99 per bottle (add 12+ quantity to your basket)
Notes from the Winemaker:It is ironic that one of the youngest properties in the region has one of the most prestigious lineages, but it is the case with Bodegas Aalto. A chance meeting between Mariano Garcia, former star winemaker of Vega Sicilia, and Javier Zaccagnini, former President of the governing body of the Ribera del Duero AOC, gave birth to this quality-oriented estate which produced its first vintage in 1999, a year after its creation.
The winery has acquired some of the best Tinto Fino vineyards in Ribera del Duero, including 32 hectares in 3 different sub-regions of Ribera del Duero -- two in the province of Valladolid and one in the province of Burgos. They also have 10 hectares of 60 year-old vines in the Burgos village of Quemada. In 2004, Mariano Garcia was recognized by Wine & Spirits Magazine as one of "50 Most Influential Winemakers."
Varieties: 100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo)
Vineyards: From 7 different villages in Ribera del Duero including Roa, La Horra, Quemada, La Aguilera & Moradillo
Farming Practice: Sustainable
Soils: Argillo-calcare, sandy and clay soils
Altitude: 2400-2700 feet
Age of vines: 60-100 years old
Aging: 30 months in new French oak
Ratings & Reviews
97 Points & "Cellar Selection" - Wine Enthusiast Magazine:"A beautiful but enormous style of red wine with char, leather and saturated black fruit aromas. There’s also some lemony oak that will shed itself with time. Overall, it’s rich, delicious and a real fruit bomb with chocolate, vanilla, caramel, coffee and mocha, all of which are reflections of the oak aging it sees. PS stands for s seleccionados, and it’s really an example of the new school in full session. Best 2013–2017 due to its heft and extraction." —M.S. (10/1/2010)
96 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate:"The glass-staining 2006 Aalto PS was aged for 32 months in 70% new French oak. It emits a super-expressive aromatic array of pain grille, crushed stone, lavender, spice box, and blackberry. Firm and structured on the palate, it has a boatload of intense, succulent, spicy fruit, ripe tannin, and impeccable balance. Drink this lengthy, powerful effort from 2016 to 2036. In truth, aside from the $55 difference in price, there is not much separating the Aalto from the Aalto PS in the 2006 vintage. Bodegas y Vinedos Aalto is the estate of the renowned Mariano Garcia, former winemaker at Vega Sicilia." - Jay Miller (Jun 2009)
