Bodega Aster Crianza Ribera del Duero 2021 750ml

Jeff - Wine Specialist, Sherman Oaks

A Customer Favorite... and Maybe Now Mine Too

While customers typically come to me for wine guidance, every once in a while, a customer recommends (or in this case insisted) that I try a wine. Spain is my current favorite country for wine, and tempranillo is probably my current favorite grape, so I was happy to oblige. And, I am very happy I did.

It opens with an intense and complex nose of blackberry, boysenberry, cinnamon, mace, carob, vanilla, maybe a little orange peel?

What follows is a rich and powerful wine, with blackberry, blood orange, strawberry, cranberry, vanilla, coupled with velvety tannins. There is a strong earthiness to this wine supporting its power. I love the mix of fruit, spice, and earthy complexity.

Technically...

This wine is 100% tempranillo, and is aged for 16 months in 75% new French Oak. It is from Ribera Del Duero in northern Spain, just to the west of Rioja. One of the things I love about Spain is tasting tempranillo from many different regions (Ribera Del Duero, Rioja, Priorat, Toro, etc.). It reminds me a lot of California in that way.

When you consider all the complexity, quality, intensity, and new oak aging for only $25.99(!), this is a MUST HAVE wine at an unbeatable price. It easily punches above its weight case.

Pair it with a large assortment of dishes, perhaps favoring roasted meats, stews, and mature cheese, or just drink it on its own and love it!