Arzuaga Crianza Ribera del Duero 2018

Awarded a platinum medal by Decanter World Wine Awards and a score of 97 points – the highest obtained by any wine from Ribera del Duero in the 2021 competition.

Arzuaga Crianza is the elegant flagship red of Bodegas Arzuaga Navarro, crafted using Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon from La Maquinilla vineyard, the oldest part of their La Planta estate. Matured in a combination of French and American oak for sixteen months, it’s a polished and refined Ribera del Duero, teeming with blackberries, cherries, blackcurrants, dark chocolate, red summer fruit, spices, balsamic and caramel. Considering the high price of some its more famous neighbours, this big red (from an outstanding vintage) offers remarkable value and a fine match for game, roasts and slow-cooked stews.

Bodegas Arzuaga Navarro is a Spanish classic located in Quintanilla de Onésimo, at the very heart of the Ribera del Duero Denominación de Origen. Although only established in the 1990s, this family-run business has rapidly become one of the most prestigious wineries in the world-famous region. Their luxuriously large estate weighs in at an impressive 1,400 hectares, however there’s only 210 hectares of vines on it. That’s because the Arzuaga family believe they should coexist with nature, allowing the pines, oaks, juniper, olive trees, wild boar and deer to thrive on the remainder.