Mission Codename AARE we there yet?
“Very much the embodiment of a modern Ribera del Duero.” - Vinous
Prepare to be aamazed!
AALTO on Wine Spies at HALF OFF?! Double 94 POINTS! YES!
Lovers of modern Spanish wine, collectors of the Vega Sicilia kind, gather up for a very special announcement.
First, we have none other than Mariano García in the house and founded in 1999, Aalto is his baby. Prominent importer of all things uniquely Iberian, The Spanish Table sums it up well, “García has been a legend in the world of wine since his teens. Son of a vineyard worker, he happened to pass by the winemaker’s office one day when they needed another taster. With no knowledge of wines, he was the only one to pick out the two identical wines in a blind tasting of 20. At the age of 24, he was made winemaker at the estate, Bodegas Vega Sicilia, the most prestigious winery in Spain. Mariano García has always pushed boundaries to produce unique and expressive wines with great finesse.”
Decanter is right, he is the “Master of the Duero” as the “creator of some of the best wines in the world.” Like this one in our glass, the stuff FLOORS you.
A complete ‘WOW WINE’, a toweringly rich and concentrated red that has loads of blackcurrants, violets, earth, cured meat, cedar, and licorice aromas and flavors. It’s mineral-laced within that framework of deep, dark fruits and ripe elements, with full-bodied intensity, beautifully concentrated, showcasing remarkable freshness and a seemingly eternal finish.
Aare you still with us? Aastonishingly affordable cult red at just $40! Don’t let it get away…
94 Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“Aalto is one of the icons of modern Ribera del Duero, famous for their exuberant, ripe and generously oaked reds. It’s owned by the Nozaleda and Masaveu families and winemaker Mariano García of Mauro (et al.) fame. They control 130 hectares of vineyards in nine different villages and produce 320,000 bottles per year. The nose of the red 2020 Aalto comes blasting with tons of toasted oak, spice, smoke and more toast, ripe berries and a luxurious creaminess like the finest modern wines from the turn of the century. This is predictable but exactly what their customers are looking for, with ripe berries, generous oak and a velvety palate with volume, soft tannins and mellow acidity. It matured in French and American oak barrels for 18 months. Some things never change. Drink 2023-2028.”
94 Points – Tim Atkin MW
“Aalto is the most celebrated example of a pan-Ribera red, using grapes from nine different villages in Burgos and Valladolid over a period of three weeks. The 2020 is typically rich, dense and well-upholstered, with a stylish mix of one third new French and American oak, some mocha sweetness, bright acidity and classic liquorice, tar and blackberry fruit intensity. Will age well, too.”
What the Winery Says
2020 'Aalto' Ribera del Duero
- Winemaker
- Mariano García Fernández
- Varietals
- 100% Tempranillo
- Vintage
- 2020
- Alcohol
- 14.5%
- Appellation
- Ribera del Duero, Spain
- Vineyards
- Sustainable & Certified Organic
- Soils
- Red clay, limestone, sand
- Elevation
- 800-900 meters
- Aging
- 18 months
- Barrels
- 85% French oak, 15% American oak