Viñedos Alonso del Yerro – 2019

Organic (Uncertified)
Tempranillo
94 points, Proensa
93 points, The Wine Advocate

Alonso del Yerro was founded in 2002 by Javier Alonso and María del Yerro. Their son, Miguel, now runs the winery, a job that, along with making the wine, also includes making his own compost, and planting wheat along the vine rows to keep the limestone soil from compacting.

Alonso del Yerro is a good example of the winery’s varied vineyards and soils, from clay- and limestone-heavy plots to lighter, sandier areas. Individual plots (or similar groups of plots) are vinified separately, and the resulting lots are then aged separately prior to blending.

As in much of Ribera, the Roa summers are punishing. 2019 was about as brutal as they come until late season storms broke the heat, allowing the grapes to ripen fully. This bottle of the Alonsos’ flagship wine is deep red in the glass, powerfully spicy and fruity on the nose, and concentrated on the palate, with notes of wild flowers, licorice, and a bit of toast.