The 2010 Seleccion Especial is a blend of Tempranillo (from Negralada) with Cabernet Sauvignon (from Valdebellon) and a dash of Syrah, which in this vintage were selected from more sandy soils and bottled after 16 months maturation in oak. It has more red fruit notes than the 2011, quite aromatic and intense, with fruit up front, hints of blood, a lactic touch and a medium-bodied palate with fine-grained, dusty tannins, good volume and a lush, velvety texture with good freshness. The fruit is up-front and there is oak in the background. It leaves a strong Atlantic feeling, especially in the quality of the tannins. 460,000 bottles produced. Drink now-2017. Abadia Retuerta is located in Sardon de Duero, a winery created in the mid-1990s with the help of Bordeaux vigneron Pascal Delbeck and owned by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis. The vineyards were planted after a detailed study of the soils between 1991 and 1994 just outside the boundaries of Ribera del Duero (in fact, part of their vineyards are within the appellation’s limits), with the first wines, Vinos de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon, being releases from the 1995-1996 harvest. The resident winemaker is Angel Anocibar, with whom I met one morning in their Madrid offices to taste the latest releases. We tasted 2010 and 2011, two vintages they consider to be very good but with slightly different character. Anocibar considers 2011 an almost perfect vintage, with perfect conditions throughout the cycle, with just a little bit of heat at the end, the last week or so. The wines are 15% alcohol and full of polyphenols, big wines that needed gentle vinification. 2010 was also warm and ripe but the average temperatures were achieved by a couple of warm months at the end of the cycle, which was a little behind until June. They usually harvest earlier than the rest and look for freshness in their wines. There is quite a change with the 2009 vintage, because when they do less maceration – especially in the end, as alcohol extracts the harsh tannins – and the wines are fresher and more drinkable, offering prime harmony in the palate as well as freshness and drinkability. Importer: Europvin USA, www.europvin.com