Description

My 2024 Ribera del Duero Special Report is based on a 13-day, fact-finding visit to the region in September 2024.  All in all, I tasted 551 wines from a 173 bodegas, visiting nearly half of them in person. I also spent two mornings visiting vineyards with Noelia Callejo from Félix Callejo in Sotillo de la Ribera and the team from Protos, the region’s biggest winery, in Anguix.

Ribera del Duero is predominantly a red wine region, of course, with Tinto Fino, or Tempranillo, the dominant grape. But it also makes rosés and, since the 2019 vintage, has included white wines based on the local Albillo Mayor grape under its Denominación de Origen. There are a record number of whites and claretes in this year’s report, as well as some fantastic reds, most notably from the five-star 2021 and 2019 vintages.

One hundred wines scored 94 points or more. One achieved 100 points, the second time that Vega Sicilia has been so honoured, one 98 points and four 9 points. Several of my top wines are among the most famous (and expensive) brands in Spain. But the report also includes several wines at very affordable prices, as well as a handful of exciting new discoveries. It’s great to watch the DO evolve with every vintage.

As well as 374 tasting notes, my comprehensive, 115-page report includes an in-depth analysis of history, terroir, climate change and recent vintages, suggestions for further reading and tips on where to eat, drink and stay in the region.

You can download the full report here for £20.