Vivaltus 'La Fleur', Ribera del Duero, Spain 2016

Between the majestic medieval castles of Peñafiel and Curiel de Duero, Bodega Vivaltus emerges as an oasis of wine creativity in the picturesque Cuco Valley. Founded by visionaries Ramón Martínez, Jesús Yllera and José Yllera, this winery was forged in the 1980s by a shared passion for the exceptional. Today, under the leadership of brothers Marcos and Carlos Yllera, accompanied by Ramón's children Beatriz, César and oenologist Montxo Martinez, Vivaltus pushes the boundaries of excellence by collaborating with renowned master winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet. Together they have charted their path to excellence in the Ribera de Duero, creating unique, captivating and timeless wines.

"I tasted the bottled version of the 2016 La Fleur de Vivaltus (formerly Petit Vivaltus), which showed pretty much like the sample I tasted with Jean-Claude Berrouet and his son Jeff in Madrid on a warm summer Monday morning in 2018. It's mostly Tempranillo with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and has 13.9% alcohol. It fermented with neutral yeasts followed by an élevage that lasted 12 months in 70% used barrels, 20% new ones and 10% in concrete eggs. This shows very good freshness and elegance, a style I have also seen in some of the Yllera wines from this vintage (Jesús Yllera and Yllera Dominus), floral, perfumed and elegant, with a vibrant palate with very good freshness and clean, focused flavors." Wine Advocate 93