Montecastro Reserva Ribera del Duero

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15 May 2026

Montecastro Reserva Ribera del Duero 2020 is made from 95% Tempranillo and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, with oak ageing in the mix. It has a high Vivino score of 4.1, Parker gives it 93 points, and Tim Atkin also scores it 93.

I had the decanter ready, fully expecting this to be tannic and heavily oaked, as so many Ribera del Duero wines can be, but this one took me by surprise. It wasn’t like that at all.

There’s oak there, certainly, along with a strawberry aroma. On tasting, it comes across as robust, dry, mouth-coating and very fruity. It feels balanced and sophisticated, with low to medium tannins rather than anything grippy or overpowering.

Letting it breathe didn’t really change it, which says quite a bit. This is drinkable now, straight out of the bottle, and I suspect it is already at its optimum. Further ageing probably won’t add much more.

An atypical Ribera del Duero, but nonetheless a very nice drink.

It is £30, reduced to £25 at Waitrose as I write this.

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