Hacienda Monasterio 2011 Red

Which red wine would you serve at a dinner where the guests have very different tastes? One loves Ribera del Duero, while another prefers lighter, more delicate wines. A wise choice would be a Ribera that has spent some time in the bottle. If the wine you choose is in as fine a condition as this Hacienda Monasterio 2011, then  any debate about tastes and styles will soon  give way to sheer enjoyment.

It's no surprise that the flagship wine of one of the most reliable wineries in Ribera del Duero ages beautifully. Indeed, it serves as a valuable reminder that some things are worth the wait. Two key elements make this wine an absolute winner and contribute to its sense of plenitude: first, its wonderful velvety texture; second, its aromatic complexity -a layered blend of dried and jammy fruit, spicy notes and hints of mint and leather.

The blend for this vintage included 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Malbec, alongside Tinto Fino. In this article on Hacienda Monasterio published in SWL in 2015, Peter Sisseck, the winery's winemaker and later consultant, explained how he defined the style of the wine in the early 1990s, drawing inspiration from the region's two iconic producers. He adopted Vega Sicilia's blend but opted for shorter ageing times, in line with Pesquera, and aged the wine in French oak.

Sisseck and winemaker Carlos de la Fuente also commented on the 2011 vintage, the third in a cycle of high-quality harvests after following 2009 and 2010, pointing out that they would have liked a little less alcohol. The 15% abv stated on the label may seem daunting, but the wine is well-balanced, lush and textured, with a fluid palate.

Originally a Crianza, the wine has been sold under the generic label since the early 2000s and has always commanded a premium price. At the time, it retailed in Spain for  €28 to €30 –equivalent to a Reserva price. Today, it costs around €42. A total of 166,000 bottles were produced for the 2011 vintage.

If you are curious to see how this wine evolves, consider buying some bottles of the 2021 vintage. The wine has a fresher profile than the 2011 and an excellent texture. Availability is even more generous, with 237,299 bottles produced, and the wine is widely distributed (see Wine Searcher for more information).

Hacienda Monasterio is an estate wine. The grapes come from the winery's own vineyards in the village of Pesquera del Duero (Valladolid), where white limestone soils dominate. In addition to its flagship red, the winery produces a Reserva and, in exceptional vintages, a Reserva Especial. It is probably one of the few players in Ribera del Duero to have maintained its range of wines virtually unchanged since its inception.