Bodegas Hacienda Monasterio 2020

Wine Advocate, 94 pts

"The 2018 Hacienda Monasterio, the wine that was previously labeled as Crianza, is a blend of 80% Tinto Fino, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Malbec selected from the 100 hectares of their organically certified vineyard in the west part of Ribera del Duero. It had a traditional fermentation, destemmed and in 8,000-liter stainless steel tanks (a change from the 20,000-liter vats used in 2016) with indigenous yeasts, and it matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, 25% new. This wine represents the character of the property, including all the grapes. It's still a little young, with a creamy twist, a little biscuity with hints of cereals, juicy and with tannins but with balance. This is a vintage that has great balance and freshness, but right now it's a little too oaky for me—but it should develop nicely in bottle. They are now in the process of replacing the Merlot with Malbec, because they think Malbec can work well in the Ribera del Duero".

Hacienda Monasterio has a special place in our hearts and cellars. Having remained at the vanguard of the evolution of the DO of Ribera del Duero since its founding in 1991, Hacienda Monasterio continues to innovate and seek new ways to make wines that embody the region’s potential for power as well as elegance and finesse. Guiding this evolution is Peter Sisseck, who joined the estate shortly after its inception and while he has pushed the envelope in the DO with his own wine Pingus, he’s remained at the helm of Hacienda Monasterio: overseeing the purchase and planting of new vineyards, grafting over existing vines to the local Tempranillo, Tinto Fino, and incrementally improving vinifications by championing native fermentations, experimenting with whole clusters and employing larger 500L French oak barrels for aging 

The results of these changes are evident in the wines. While retaining the complex aromatics that are a signature of this terroir – think orange peel and black olive tapenade, recent vintages have shown ever more elegance and precision.

The chalky soils where the vineyards of Hacienda Monasterio are located have no difficulty making powerful wines but harnessing the terroir to make balanced wines requires a tremendous effort in the vineyard to match the yields to the vintage. Organic farming and a strict selection of fruit in each vintage certainly helps, and in the cellar Peter has started employing increasingly higher proportions of stems, is moving towards a more gentle maceration, and is employing more larger and more seasoned French oak barrels. The cuvée formerly known as Crianza is a blend of primarily Tempranillo with about 10-15% Cabernet Sauvignon and smaller portions of Merlot and Malbec.