Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero 2023

As an example of good, premium-level Ribera del Duero this is a difficult one to ignore. It has no shortage of full-bodied oomph, but there’s more to it than sheer impact – it’s opulent yet still balanced. Blackberries and dark plums on the nose, with vanilla and a smooth, almost silky palate. It spends about a year in French and American oak, which brings soft spice and ripe, rounded tannins. Not for nothing is this considered one of the best value premium Riberas around.

It's good to drink now, with the structure to soften and gain a bit more savoury depth over a few years. With food? Roast lamb, crispy potatoes, maybe some chorizo.

Emilio Moro are one of Ribera del Duero’s leading bodegas – Atlético Madrid to Vega Sicilia’s Real Madrid, if you like. Based on Ribera’s so-called Golden Mile, alongside several other major names, they can fairly claim a hand in bringing the region’s wines to wider attention. They’re not a top-end-only outfit, though. While their Malleolus wines sit in serious company, the more everyday Finca Resalso and flagship Emilio Moro are still very good value for money. More recently they’ve added a separate project in Bierzo, centred on white wines from Godello, which already looks like a promising extra strand to the story.