Pepe Yllera Ribera del Duero 2020

It could be argued that Ribera del Duero is one of the most luxurious wine destinations in the world. For it is here, in this vast region, that two wines dominate the wine scene – Vega Sicilia’s Unico and Peter Sisseck’s Pingus. Both are amazing Tempranillo-driven wines, but we’re here to introduce you to those wines' lightweight contender – our very own weeknight warrior of a wine, every bit as intense as those two acclaimed masters, but without the $1,000 price tag.

Ribera is a fairly large slice of Spanish countryside, nominally centered on the river and sitting north of Madrid and south of Rioja. It was, for many years, not much of a wine-growing region – with one big exception: Vega Sicilia. Vega Sicilia as a winery predates the establishment of Ribera del Duero. And for almost all of its 300-year history it was the wine of Kings and Queens. Literally. It was only given to visiting dignitaries, heads of government, or royalty. When Charles and Diana were married, Vega Sicilia Unico 1978 was their wedding wine. It starts at around $500 a bottle. And if you have the means, I highly recommend it.

Vega Sicilia got a run for its money, and Ribera got a big boost in the early 1990s when a Dane, Peter Sisseck, moved to the region. Peter had done winemaking in Pomerol, specifically at Petrus, and in Ribera he found a promised land – incredibly old vines of Tempranillo with nobody around making wine from them. He started making Pingus, and his first vintage (and nearly every subsequent vintage) scored 100 points. That wine is now $1,000.

Why do I mention this litany of fat-cat wine? Because we’ve got a new contender in the house, and it’s ready to come out swinging – Bodegas Jesus Yllera and their Tempranillo Cabernet Blend.

Yllera opens with a beautiful expression of robust fruit and tannins – like a Napa Cab does, but with a Spanish flair to it. The Tempranillo gives fruit that is full of blackberries, black currant, spicy toasty oak and rich dark cherry notes. There is Cabernet in the blend, and these two grapes combined make this a strapping buck of a wine. The palate is  firm and integrated tannins that give it a powerful backbone that can stand up to any steak you choose to grill with it. 

In short, it gives you all of the commanding presence of a Pingus, and the elegance of Vega Sicilia, but with a price tag where you can drink it guilt-free on a Tuesday night.

Critical acclaim: 

"92 points. The spicy and peppery 2020 Pepe Yllera was an improvement over the already great 2019 I tasted next to it. It's serious, fresh, juicy, velvety and balanced. They told me 2020 (and 2021) was a vintage when the Cabernet Sauvignon ripened thoroughly. It's medium-bodied, velvety and very tasty, fresh, elegant, serious and young. This tasted like a much more expensive bottle of wine... " —Wine Advocate