Tasting Notes
Robert Parker 94
“The 2015 Flor de Pingus is produced with a majority of grapes from vineyards in La Horra, a total of 30.8 hectares of vineyards in different zones of the village, so it’s their village bottling from different soils. The different quarters (El Pino, Fuentearriba, Fuentenarro and Castillo) are fermented separately. Sisseck has replanted some plots as they were done before: with riparia roots planted earlier and grafted to a massal selection two years after. He was able to do this in Hacienda Monasterio when he arrived, but these new plantings are not yet in production. So, Flor de Pingus is all old vines fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts (he hasn’t needed to use selected yeasts since 2001 or so, and always in special circumstances) and matured in oak barrels, mostly used and some of different sizes. 2015 is a powerful, warm and ripe year, where the secret was to be able to harvest early to keep the freshness; Sisseck feared the year could have been another 2011, but he managed much fresher wines. The nose is very harmonious and shows no heat, and the palate is terribly balanced, with refined tannins, silky and in a way exuberant (rather than rough), ripe but suave and with enough freshness. It has the Ribera del Duero character and is also faithful to the vintage and grape, with great precision. All in all, a great vintage of Flor de Pingus, with power and elegance. Some 90,000 bottles were filled in June 2017. This should age effortlessly in bottle.”
Anticipated maturity: 2018-2028
Vinous 94
Opaque ruby. Ripe, mineral-accented dark berries, cherry cola, mocha, potpourri and an exotic incense nuance on the deeply perfumed nose. Smooth and broad on the palate, offering impressively concentrated blackberry liqueur and cherry pie flavors along with subtle hints of vanilla, candied licorice and spicecake. A smoky nuance comes up with air and lingers on the impressively long, youthfully tannic finish, which echoes the floral and mineral notes.
Anticipated maturity: 2023-2033
