Ribera del Duero Report 2025: Our experts' favourite new wines redefining this premium Spanish region

Not subscribed? Sign up today with the code RIBERA25 for 20% off an annual subscription There was a feeling of careful optimism when Almudena Alberca MW and I spent a week, in late May, in Ribera del Duero , tasting and talking to producers for this report. The verdant hills, dotted with the joyous, profuse colourfulness of wild flowers, painted a very different picture from previous years of bleached-pastel drought. Would the same contrast be reflected in the wines? The impact of these challenging vintages, especially in a region where concentration and tannins are stylistic trademarks, could be problematic. Our fears were unfounded. What we encountered in the glass was, instead, a willingness to embrace viticultural challenges and seek balance without avoiding the different profile and power of the fruit brought in by each harvest. The contrasts were obvious but welcome. [subscriber-content] Playing with time and style Beyond the older vintages found in the Reserva and Gran Reserva categories, most of the wines submitted (released in the 12 months leading to our tasting) were from the 2021 and 2022 harvest. The former, a cool ‘pre-drought’ vintage had a potential for freshness and finesse which were leveraged by its best examples (on the other hand, the lower-scoring iterations struggled with harsh tannins and difficult integration of wood). The 2022 vintage followed with potentially problematic concentration. However, winemakers were able to translate it into a robust classicism, deftly using wood to add complexity to the intensity and ripeness. In both vintages, the standout wines begin to show an expressive development that underscores both the identity of the vintages and the further ageing potential, albeit following very different trajectories – chiseled definition for the 2021s; opulent complexity for the 2022s. [caption id="attachment_565059" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Valdemonja's winery, garden and vineyards, Quintanilla de Arriba, Ribera del Duero, May 2025[/caption] Affordable diversity A refreshing surprise was the early release of some energetic 2024s, full of crunchy if broody primary fruit. It's a daring proposition that shows Ribera del Duero producers willing to venture further and further from the stylistic assumptions of what a Ribera red should taste like – and of how long it should wait in the cellar. On the same note, the older vintages released under the generic category are also increasingly symptomatic of the wider changes happening in the region. Producers are less bound by ageing and labelling categories and truly willing to ‘listen’ to the wine (rather than imposing a stylistic recipe), experiment with fermentation vessels and hold stock for maturation in bottle prior to release. This gives the consumer intriguing (and affordable) access to various vintages – all, in their own way, showing great drinkability – as well as to a range of approaches and styles, beyond the traditional categorisation. The top-scoring wines from the 'generic' category (i.e. not labelled as Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva) featured below, clearly showcase this diversity. [caption id="attachment_565057" align="aligncenter" width="1300"] Almudena Alberca MW tasting in Ribera del Duero, for this report[/caption] Back to the vineyard The common denominator seems to be – and was apparent both in the tasting room and while visiting producers – a fierce and humble engagement with what’s happening in the vineyard. The increasingly viticulture-led approach is both a necessity – imposed by climate change and extreme weather events in recent vintages – and part of the soul-searching catalysed by a movement to rediscover a ‘pre-modern’ Ribera del Duero . A renewed focus on old plots, clonal diversity and softer-handed winemaking approach, is yielding more diversity and expressiveness. And the increased focus on white wines is yet another symptom of this shift and creative energy. All of this helps us to understand the different faces of Tinto Fino we tasted, all with their own identity. There was nuance and depth, difference and character, against a backdrop of technical ability and consistent quality. Challenges notwithstanding, Ribera del Duero is turning an interesting corner. Rather than outliers, the terroir-specific wines are as essential for understanding of the region as the high-achieving stylistic-led counterparts. Extremely able and knowledgeable winemakers play on both camps. Moving forward, with nature and markets in turmoil, the way Ribera del Duero producers seem to be attuned with their vineyards and the clear intent with which they work in the cellar promise great things in coming releases. Not least because the very essence of Ribera del Duero seems to be questioning its founding premises. That there is a willingness to do so is remarkable in itself. [/subscriber-content] Ribera del Duero Report 2025: Top-scoring diversity [wine-collection] Related articles Ribera del Duero adopts the new old ways Vega Sicilia’s 2025 releases: Singularity beyond Unico Collector’s Guide: Spain

PREMIUM

Ribera del Duero Report 2025: Our experts’ favourite new wines redefining this premium Spanish region

Not subscribed? Sign up today with the code RIBERA25 for 20% off an annual subscription

Ribera del Duero Report 2025: Top-scoring diversity

Related articles

Ribera del Duero adopts the new old ways

Vega Sicilia’s 2025 releases: Singularity beyond Unico

Collector’s Guide: Spain

Latest Wine News

Decanter magazine December 2025: See what’s inside

Photo highlights from Decanter Fine Wine Encounter Singapore 2025

Peter Fraser, Yangarra Estate winemaker, dies at 51

The ethical drinker: Climate ‘trailblazers’ championed in new book

Wine prices: Which is Europe’s most expensive country?

Latest Premium Content

Lirac & Tavel 2024: The most characterful top-scoring wines

The 2012 vintage in Champagne: A Decanter Fine Wine Encounter Masterclass

Gigondas, Vacqueyras & Beaumes de Venise 2024: The very best wines from a standout year

Declaring a vintage: One of the most crucial decisions at Taylor’s

Rasteau, Cairanne & Vinsobres 2024: The best of the vintage’s ‘precise and drinkable’ wines