Dominio del Aguila Picaro Clarete 2019
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Robert
Parker
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Many years ago, Clarete was a common product of Ribera del Duero, not classically a rosé but certainly pink in color. Picaro Clarete is made by treading a mix of whole cluster red and white grapes bunches in tank followed by a couple of days maceration then into oak vats for a slow fermentation by indigenous yeasts. After about 8-9 months in vat, the wine is transferred to neutral French and American oak barrels, where it ages for 16 months before bottling.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I also tasted the 2019 Pícaro del Águila Clarete, a wine produced with a blend of red and white grapes as if it was a red, aging it in French oak barrels for 15 months. 2019 was a warmer and riper year in the region, and the wine is powerful but has kept very good freshness, which means a pH of 3.16. This is a rounder vintage sustained by very good acidity, in a way more like a cooler year like 2016. This is young and tender and doesn't yet have the depth they gain with further time in bottle. There is more white here (like in 2015 and 2016), and the wine is a little paler, which also helps with the freshness. The wine feels quite subtle and elegant and more in line with the 2016, which was a warmer year. It's tasty and balanced, with a chalky sensation and a very fresh finish. This is a real jewel and, in fact, one of the best vintages for clarete. But these wines are never about ephemeral fruit aromas and flavors. There is depth and complexity here. It should pay back if you can refrain for pulling the cork now.
Rating: 94+
Pícaro Tinto is made from fruit which is strictly selected from certified organic parcels chosen not only for their quality, but in response to vintage conditions. In warmer years, cooler sites are favored and in cooler vintages, warmer sites are utilized. The soils are heavier in clay, which in a dry climate like Ribera del Duero, prevents vine stress and promotes an even and gradual ripening of both the fruit and stems – vitally important for whole cluster, natural yeast fermentations. The wine is a co-fermented field blend of Tempranillo, Albillo (a white grape variety), Garnacha and Bobal. Despite its 12-20 months in French oak, it is bright, vibrant and aromatic. Bright and vibrant are usually not words associated with Ribera del Duero but it is certainly the case with the Pícaro Tinto.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
Ribera del Duero, Spanish wine region, is located in northen Spain’s Castilla y León region, just a 2-hour drive from Madrid. While winemaking in this area goes back more than 2000 years, it was in the 1980s that 9 wineries applied for and were granted Denominación de Origen (D.O.) status. Today, more than 300 wineries call Ribera del Duero home, including some of Spain’s most iconic names.
Notable Facts Ribera’s main grape variety, Tempranillo, locally know as Tinto Fino, is perfectly suited to the extreme climate of the region, where it must survive scorching summers and frigid winters. Low yields resulting from conscientious tending to old vines planted in Ribera’s diverse soils types, give Ribera wines a distinctive depth and complexity not found in other Tempranillos. Rich and full-bodied, the spice, dark fruit and smoky flavors in a bold Ribera del Duero will pair well with roasted and grilled meats, Mexican food and tomato-based sauces.