Great Values Wines: Ribera del Duero under $35

Despite being the source of some of the finest and most age-worthy wines in the world, such as the unique Vega Sicilia and the immaculately precise Pingus, the Spanish region of Ribera del Duero used to be known for extracted, overwhelming wines.

Today, with trustworthy bottles that demonstrate depth, structure, and concentration, top producers from Ribera del Duero have fine-tuned their styles and steered toward freshness, precision, and finesse. The “crunch element” now is in fashion and is a desired characteristic for some of the top wines from Ribera del Duero, especially those from the racy, ripe but fresh 2016 vintage, which will stand the test of time but at the same time are quite approachable already.

The tempranillo grape is so flexible that it can excel in both terroir-expressive renditions and “formula wines” that target a particular crowd of palates. It’s like merlot, which can produce stunning wines that show a beauty of fruit and almost everything in harmony and moderation while it remains a crowd-pleaser when made well in a more commercial style. For Ribera del Duero, the lighter touch popular with winemakers today has expanded the diversity of tempranillo expressions, vesting juicier characters, drinkability and nuanced complexity in these powerful wines.

2015 and 2016 are two memorable vintages for Ribera del Duero, with 2016 being the more balanced, classic vintage of the duo. The 2016 wines tend to have more brightness and sap while the warmer 2015 delivered a slightly shorter crop with more concentration. Yet the best should not carry any unwanted jammy character from this vintage, so freshness that keeps balance in check remains a significant factor for 2015.

Below are 12 bottles of Ribera del Duero from the 2015 and 2016 vintages. They all scored 93+ points but retail at just $35 or less. While you can enjoy the hedonistic, great-value Riojas (see our previous coverage of Great Value Riojas scoring 95 pts+ under $45 here), don’t write off Ribera del Duero for value, quality, and increasingly, diversity as well.

Great Value Ribera del Duero wines for less than US$35

Finca Villacreces Ribera del Duero 2015 – JS95
Available at Vivino: $35.99

Dominio del Águila Ribera del Duero Picaro Viñas Viejas 2015 – JS95
US Price: $35

Portia Ribera del Duero Prima La Encina 2016 – JS94 
US Price: $30

Valderiz Ribera del Duero 2016 – JS94
US Price: $31

Dominio de Pingus Ribera del Duero PSI 2016 – JS94
US Price: $35

Pradorey Ribera del Duero Adaro Crianza 2015 – JS94
International Price: $20

Legaris Ribera del Duero Reserva 2015 – JS94
International Price: $27

Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Condado de Haza Crianza 2016 – JS93
Available at Vivino: $17.97
Available at Wine.com: $24.99

ValSotillo Ribera del Duero Finca Buenavista 2016 – JS93
US Price: $19

Torres Ribera del Duero Celeste Crianza 2016 – JS93
US Price: $21

Pico Cuadrado Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada 2016 – JS93
Available at Totalwine.com: $28.99

Valdemonjas Ribera del Duero Entre Palabras 2016 – JS93
International Price: $18

– Zekun Shuai, associate editor in Beijing

Tasting Notes

Dominio del Águila Ribera del Duero Picaro Viñas Viejas 2015
Country Spain
Region Castilla y León
Vintage 2015
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Finca Villacreces Ribera del Duero 2015
Country Spain
Region Castilla y León
Vintage 2015
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Dominio de Pingus Ribera del Duero PSI 2016
Country Spain
Region Castilla y León
Vintage 2016
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Legaris Ribera del Duero Reserva 2015
Country Spain
Region Castilla y León
Vintage 2015
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Portia Ribera del Duero Prima La Encina 2016
Country Spain
Region Castilla y León
Vintage 2016
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Pradorey Ribera del Duero Adaro Crianza 2015
Country Spain
Region Castilla y León
Vintage 2015
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Valderiz Ribera del Duero 2016
Country Spain
Region Castilla y León
Vintage 2016
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Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Condado de Haza Crianza 2016
Country Spain
Region Castilla y León
Vintage 2016
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Pico Cuadro Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada 2016
Country Spain
Region Castilla y León
Vintage 2016
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Torres Ribera del Duero Celeste Crianza 2016
Country Spain
Region Castilla y León
Vintage 2016
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Valdemonjas Ribera del Duero Entre Palabras 2016
Country Spain
Region Castilla y León
Vintage 2016
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ValSotillo Ribera del Duero Finca Buenavista 2016
Country Spain
Region Castilla y León
Vintage 2016
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