2021 Ribera del Duero, Finca Villacreces

• Style: Full-bodied organic Ribera del Duero, Tempranillo-led with real polish
• Taste: Black cherry, blackberry, cassis, mocha, graphite
• Food: Char-grilled steak, roast beef, venison casserole, braised oxtail, barbecue
• Occasion: Sunday lunch, date night
• Serve: 14% ABV; open alongside the food, not before it

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

Deep garnet, with a polished nose of ripe black cherry, blackberry and cassis layered over mocha, espresso and sweet spice, and a quieter line of graphite and balsamic beneath. The palate is full-bodied yet balanced: concentrated dark fruit framed by ripe, finely grained tannins and fresh acidity, with creamy oak, liquorice and savoury spice carrying a long, persistent finish. James Suckling gave it 91 points — power with elegance, classic Ribera del Duero. So, for you, this means a serious red that flatters food rather than flattening it.

The Winery — Finca Villacreces

Finca Villacreces sits on Ribera del Duero's 'golden mile' at Quintanilla de Onesimo, a 155-hectare estate between the River Duero and Vega Sicilia's vines — Robert Parker's "hidden jewel of Ribera del Duero". Lalo Anton of Izadi bought it in 2003 and farms organically, with canopy management and natural treatments in place of chemicals. Sandy, gravel, shingle and quartz soils at 710 metres hold yields to around three tonnes per hectare: sand gives the Tempranillo its fleshiness, quartz and shingle add mineral complexity. The 2021 blend is 92% Tempranillo with 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Merlot, from a season of abundant winter snowfall and a cool, dry summer that slowed ripening for excellent phenolic balance. Hand-picked into 15kg boxes and double-sorted, the fruit was gently fermented in wooden vats and concrete, then aged 14 months in French oak, half of it new.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

This is the bottle we hand over when red meat is on the menu: char-grilled steak, Sunday roast beef, venison casserole, slow-braised oxtail, or anything from the barbecue. At 14% and full-bodied, it is built for the table rather than the solo pour — open it as the food arrives and let the dark fruit lead. It earns its keep at Sunday lunch and holds the table at a date-night dinner. Explore more from our Ribera del Duero shelf, browse the Tempranillo collection, or see the rest of our Organic Wine range.