Protos Crianza 2015 Ribera del Duero, Castilla y León, Spain 75cl

Protos, whose name means first, was founded in 1927 in Peñafiel and was the pioneering bodega of Ribera del Duero, the Castilian region now famous the world over for powerful Tempranillo. Its historic cellars run deep into the hill beneath Peñafiel’s castle.

This Crianza is pure Tinto Fino, the local name for Tempranillo, grown on the high, continental plateau where the big swing between hot days and cold nights builds colour, structure and freshness into the fruit. Ribera del Duero sits higher and colder than most of Spain’s red-wine regions, and that shows in the wine’s backbone.

The 2015 harvest was warm and generous here, giving ripe, concentrated grapes with the depth to stand up to oak ageing.

A Crianza must spend at least two years maturing before release, part of it in barrel, and Protos gives this one a full fourteen months in a mix of French and American oak, followed by a year in bottle. That brings dark berry fruit, vanilla, cocoa and toasty, spicy notes over firm tannins and a long finish. This is a wine that rewards decanting and is at its best with food: serve it with roast lamb, grilled steak, hearty stews or an aged Manchego. Wine Enthusiast scored the 2015 Crianza 90 points.

A classic, structured Ribera del Duero from one of the region’s founding names. If you enjoy a serious Rioja Reserva but want something bolder and darker-fruited, this is a natural step across into Castilla y León, with the concentration to match a proper Sunday roast.