2019, Aster, Finca El Otero, Ribera del Duero
Tim Atkin MW 97 (2023); James Suckling 94 (2022)
Mix any six bottles and 15% comes off at checkout — no code needed.
At a glance
- Grape
- Tempranillo
- Region
- Ribera del Duero, Spain
- Alcohol
- 15.00%
- Body
- Full
- Acidity
- Medium
- Tannins
- Medium
- Sweetness
- Dry
- Drink
- Long (10-20 yrs)
- Pairs with
- Red Meat, Lamb
Why this wine
The same family's Ribera estate, farming a single high-altitude parcel rather than blending across the appellation. Ribera's altitude and diurnal swing give Tempranillo a darker, firmer profile than Rioja, and this pushes that to its limit. A useful direct comparison if you already know the Rioja wines.
Our advantages:
Description
How it tastes
Powerful and refined, with concentrated black fruit, coffee, and toffee accented by sweet spice and cedar — creamy, smooth, and harmoniously balanced. Intense black fruit with toasty overtones of coffee, toffee, and cedar, layered with sweet spice and subtle oak complexity. Concentrated and polished, displaying ripe blackberries and plum, framed by creamy tannins and a smooth, harmonious texture. Toasted spice, espresso, and oak nuances carry through a long, elegant finish.
The producer
Aster captures the contemporary spirit of Ribera del Duero. Founded by the renowned La Rioja Alta group, the winery was established in 2000 in Anguix, Burgos, with a mission to produce modern, fruit-forward wines that maintain elegance and structure. The 100-hectare estate integrates an advanced vinification hall, a grand manor house, and over 4,000 barrels of both French and American oak. Winemaker Julio Sáenz brings expertise from La Rioja Alta, crafting expressive, age-worthy wines defined by depth, balance, and purity of fruit. The 2019 growing season was marked by smooth vegetative development and limited rainfall, producing fewer but smaller, concentrated clusters. The optimal skin-to-pulp ratio yielded wines with richness, depth, and vibrant acidity. Officially rated *Excellent* by the Ribera del Duero Regulatory Council, this vintage showcases the appellation's signature intensity and finesse. Sourced exclusively from the 60-year-old vines of *Finca El Otero*, this single-vineyard wine is only produced in exceptional years. The plot sits at 850 metres above sea level in Anguix, Burgos, on gently eroded slopes of dry, non-fertile clay-loam soils. The vines deep root systems contribute structure and complexity, while the site's optimal exposure and poor soils limit yields to produce intensely flavoured berries. Aster follows sustainable vineyard management — reducing treatments, using renewable energy, reusing water, and promoting biodiversity through insect shelters and natural pest control. Grapes are hand-harvested at full maturity. Grapes were harvested during cold morning hours to preserve freshness and underwent a seven-day pre-fermentation cold soak. Fermentation began spontaneously with native yeasts, lasting 18 days before transfer to new French oak barrels. Weekly baonnage during 72 days of malolactic fermentation enhanced texture and complexity. The wine was then aged for 16 months in new French oak, with two traditional-style rackings to refine structure and integrate oak with fruit.
Food and drinking
Good with red meat and lamb. Drinking well now, with a decade or more ahead of it. Serve at 16–17°C.
Contains sulphites. Information correct to the best of our knowledge at time of publication and subject to change according to vintage.