Wine Review: Pesquera Tinto Fino 2009

Wine Review: Pesquera Tinto Fino 2009

By Codey Foster

I recently reviewed the 2008 Pesquera Crianza—a wine that I found to be incredibly complex, if a bit funky earthy/minerally in its young age. Well, if the 2008 Crianza is a bit young, the 2009 Tinto is just in its infancy and just on the fence of being uncorkable. Although, the 2009 Tinto didn’t manifest its youth in the same way the 2008 Crianza did—it did show incredibly dense, dark fruit (although with a fair amount of red fruit showing as well), and big structure and tannin. Its tannins, no matter how ripe and big, are delicate and focused, filling in on the back palate rather than overwhelming the drinker on the very attack. It is this winemaking execution that makes the Pesquera Tinto 2009 accessible in its youth but most definitely destined for greater things.

I’m not going to drone on about Pesquera for too long because I talked about this iconic Ribera del Duero Producer when I reviewed the 2008 Crianza, but I do want to point out that it is perhaps one of the only producers in the world using French, American, and Spanish oak—although I’m pretty sure this particular cuvee is more American oak oriented.

In the glass this Pesquera shows surprisingly red with darker shades of purple filling in.

On the nose, it is very red fruit/black fruit oriented showing black berry, currant, tart cherry and a classic Ribera del Duero earthiness that is so unabashedly and shamelessly Pesquera. The only wine that I’ve ever tasted that possessed an earthiness anything like this was the 2008 crianza—and I think that’s a true testament to Pesquera terroir.

On the palate the 2009 is dense and structured, as I mentioned earlier, but not unfriendly either. It is tight but very accessible while showing great potential for the near future, intermediate, and long term cellaring. Ripe red fruit, spice and scorched earthiness come through with stylish verve that will turn secondary brilliantly. Its American oak is quite present but well integrated and tremendously fruited.

Also, note that this particular Pesquera was simply more interesting after having been open a couple of days. Its oak character showed more punctuated and integrated and its fruit opened to become yet more decedant and rich. For near future drinking decant and allow it some time to do its thing. But a gem for sure. I’ll gab a couple for my cellar and hope to forget them for a while.

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