Bodegas Hacienda Monasterio

The 2011 Reserva continues the fine run of form at Hacienda Monasterio, the wines are now consistently amongst the finest of Ribera del Duero. Whilst the core is dark and concentrated, this is a wine full of aromatic expression with a nose featuring floral and violet notes alongside meaty, savoury characters. The palate continues in the same vein, dark and rich but with no lack of finesse; fine acidity and fine, velvety tannins create a juiciness and linear flow. Very complete and beautifully harmonious. Drink 2016 - 2026

A resounding success, flourishing from a late, cool vintage. Beautifully perfumed, boasting precision and definition.

“2013 by the Bodegas’ own admittance was, to use that great wine-trade euphuism, ‘difficult’ in Ribera del Duero. The mark of a great estate however, is what they can achieve when the elements don’t play ball; that this Reserva was produced from the latest harvest in history, is testament to Peter Sisseck’s stellar site, fruit and barrel selection. Cool, pure and precise throughout this is refinement to the last. Fruit-forward yes, but it isn’t necessarily the fruit that keeps your nose so absorbed, granite, cool stone and a touch of blackcurrant leaf add layers of complexity to the 80% Tempranillo 20% Cabernet blend. Concentrated and silky, the tannins have been honed by 20 months in French oak and the finish is so harmonious and complete that you wish to repeat the entire experience instantly.”

Jared Ehret, Private Account Manager

Peter Sisseck, the consultant winemaker at Hacienda Monasterio, sees 2010 in the same vein as 2012 and 2008, that is to say as an elegant , ‘Atlantic’ vintage, a perceived virtue in such a climate and one which allows the wine full aromatic expression. A blend of 80% Tinto Fino and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine has an attractive nose of violets and eucalypt and a palate which is soft and rich, courtesy, in no small measure, of the 20 month ageing in French oak.
Simon Field MW -  Wine Buyer

The Reserva Especial, as its name indicates, is made only in the best years, its previous incarnations being 2009 and 2005. 2010 is a more feminine elegant style and therefore completely complementary to its forebears. The blend ,as usual, favours Tinto Fino over Cabernet Sauvignon, but with a little more of the latter ( 24%) than in the other cuvées. This, allied to a longer ageing in French barrel, imparts spicy richness and a black fruit foundation upon which is built the pleasing idiosyncratic characteristics of the property, among them herbs, spice and a distinctively savoury kick at the back of the palate. Most impressive.
Simon Field MW - Wine Buyer

Located on the so-called Golden Mile, Hacienda Monasterio covers 170 hectares, its vines all north-facing, with plots of Cabernet, Merlot and Malbec complementing the Tinto Fino. Peter Sisseck, who actually lives on the estate, is consultant winemaker here and it should therefore come as no huge surprise that the quality of the wines is of the highest rank. The wines (only Crianza and Reserva wines are produced) are matured in one-year-old Bordeaux casks and are consistently amongst the region’s finest.

Notes of raspberry, black pepper, balsamic and eucalypt are all present in this wine. There is a balance and harmony which, given time, will blossom spectacularly. The palate is silky with well-integrated acidity, freshness and persistence. A wonderful expression from this increasingly sought-out address.

Hacienda Monasterio’s new releases this year continue to impress. There is an elegance to the Cosecha (so called to reflect the fact that, with 18 months in oak, it is aged for far longer than a standard Crianza) with its fine, blackcurrant nose and lovely, scented aromas. The palate is svelte with super-fine, pinpoint tannins coated with layers of juicy, fresh black fruit. This is generous but with a minerality that holds it in check all the way through the long, complex finish. Matured for 18 months in 30 percent new and 70 percent used French oak, this is truly impressive. Drink 2020-2026.

Yields are an impressively tiny 20hl/ha of this ultra-special wine from Hacienda Monasterio (nearly half what you would expect from a Grand Cru Burgundy, to put that into context). The 2013 has an absolutely gorgeous perfume of violets and lavender with a real density of fruit behind, drawing you in. The palate exhibits a wonderful balance of luscious, gentle fruit combined with elegance, finesse and melting tannins. Nonetheless, 20 months’ ageing in French oak (the first eight months in new, followed by a further 12 in used) has nurtured a serious, tight structure which is complemented by a delicious freshness. It is clear to see why Hacienda Monasterio is so highly regarded when tasting this absolutely superb wine. Drink 2025-2037.