Los 20 mejores tintos del norte seleccionados por Decanter 

El master of wine Pedro Ballesteros selecciona los mejores vinos del norte de España en la revista Decanter. Los tintos de esa zona, señala, son increíblemente variados pero no siempre suficientemente conocidos a pesar del precio de los más famosos. 

Estos son los Pedro Ballesteros Torres’ top 20 picks from north Spain:

Descendientes de J Palacios, Moncerbal, Bierzo, 2016
One of Spain’s greatest wines, with a nose reminiscent of tar and roses, comparable to the best Barolo, a finely grained texture, and a mineral…

Dominio del Águila, Canta La Perdiz, Ribera del Duero, 2015
I had never imagined how delicate Ribera del Duero could be until I tasted Jorge Monzón’s wines. A pure joy of floral and fruity aromas,…

Vega Sicilia, Único, Ribera del Duero, 2009
The great eternal Unico, with a touch of extra fruitiness and spiciness. Made after very long ageing in different oak vats and barrels, from selected…

Dominio de Cair, Pendón de la Aguilera, Ribera del Duero
A wine redolent of ambition and concentration; an effort to capture the essence of an old vineyard. More of an aesthetic exercise than a commercial…

Teso La Monja, Alabaster, Toro, Castilla y Léon, Spain, 2015
Impressively concentrated, with a rich inky texture, multi-layered expression, lots of fruit and spice, at once plummy and mineral. It should become increasingly suave with…

García Figuero, Figuero Tinus, Ribera del Duero, 2015
Made with grapes from two old vineyards with tiny yields, carefully crafted and aged for a long time. An excellent example of La Horra sub-region…

Bodegas La Horra, Corimbo I, Ribera del Duero, 2014
Wonderfully balanced, rather than being impressive as such, this wine is a memorable example of great subtlety and consistency. With its elegant La Horra austerity…

Abadía Retuerta, Pago Negralada, Castilla y Léon, 2015
One of those rare wines in which everything is at the right place: acidity, tannins, fruit, oak. Highly enjoyable now, in 15 years’ time it…

Dominio de Tares, P3 Mencía, Bierzo, Castilla y Léon, 2012
Deceptive rusticity in the nose, opening up in the mouth in an impressive, complex array of aromas and flavours, with a tightly grained structure and…

Ponte da Boga, Capricho de Merenzao, Ribeira Sacra, 2016
A kind of red Riesling, with deceptively developed colour, precise fresh fruit and earthy aromas, suave balanced texture and a tense, electric finish. Merenzao is…

Sei Solo, Ribera del Duero, Castilla y Léon, Spain, 2015
One of the benchmarks for identifying the area of La Horra in central Ribera, quite different from Peñafiel. Refined and a bit austere, elegant, with…

Comenge, Don Miguel Reserva, Ribera del Duero, 2015
A blend of Tempranillo with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine is defined by its concentration, made from ripe fruit and given extended ageing in oak….

Dominio de Pingus, Flor de Pingus, Ribera del Duero, 2017
This is a surprising second wine (with 6% Cabernet and 4% Merlot), not very closely related to the top Pingus, since it is oakier, very…

Dominio del Bendito, Las Sabias, Toro, 2015
A festival of fruit and spice on the nose, savoury and juicy on the palate, firm but smooth, with an appetising, leisurely finish. The most…

Forjas del Salnés, Goliardo Espadeiro, Rías Baixas
Delicately poised, with amazing freshness, from 100% unoaked Espadeiro. Ethereal – one of the rare red wines that can enhance the flavour of well-prepared vegetable…

Bodegas Tabula, Clave de Tábula, Ribera del Duero, 2013
This wine is all about expressing the purest Tempranillo fruit: blackberry, a hint of plum, blueberry, violets… Juicy and soft, but also dense and open….

Alonso del Yerro, María, Ribera del Duero, 2014
Precise aromatic definition, with deft oak ageing and the right maturity. Velvety on the palate, consistent and expressive. This is a wine with clear identity,…

Traslanzas, Cigales, Castilla y Léon, Spain, 2015
A single-vineyard wine that’s quite exceptional for Cigales, more akin to a classic Ribera del Duero style, with ripe blackberry fruit and rich toasty aromas;…

Bodega Vidas, Cien Montañas Carrasquín, Cangas, 2017
One would take this wine for a great red Loire. Made from 100% Carrasquín, it unites freshness with tannic grip, shows a spicy expression with…

Raúl Pérez, Los Arrotos del Pendón, 2015
Probably the best Prieto Picudo on earth – and it shows the promise of better yet to come. Great acidity, smooth texture, original style and…