The 2011 Pago Valdebellon, pure Cabernet Sauvignon, has the cassis and herbal aromas so typical from the variety, but in 2011 it ripened perfectly and also reveals showy, dark aromas of graphite, black pepper and smoke. It does have some aromas of dark chocolate and smoke, but the oak is perfectly integrated and makes those aromas of paprika come out and provide freshness. The palate is medium to full-bodied with classical dusty, grainy tannins, good acidity, and very good balance, a big, powerful and ripe Cabernet which really benefitted from the 2011 growing season. This has to be one of the top Cabernet Sauvignons produced in Spain. Drink 2015-2020. Abadia Retuerta is located in Sardon de Duero, a winery created in the mid-1990s with the help of Bordeaux vigneron Pascal Delbeck and owned by the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis. The vineyards were planted after a detailed study of the soils between 1991 and 1994 just outside the boundaries of Ribera del Duero (in fact, part of their vineyards are within the appellation’s limits), with the first wines, Vinos de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon, being releases from the 1995-1996 harvest. The resident winemaker is Angel Anocibar, with whom I met one morning in their Madrid offices to taste the latest releases. We tasted 2010 and 2011, two vintages they consider to be very good but with slightly different character. Anocibar considers 2011 an almost perfect vintage, with perfect conditions throughout the cycle, with just a little bit of heat at the end, the last week or so. The wines are 15% alcohol and full of polyphenols, big wines that needed gentle vinification. 2010 was also warm and ripe but the average temperatures were achieved by a couple of warm months at the end of the cycle, which was a little behind until June. They usually harvest earlier than the rest and look for freshness in their wines. There is quite a change with the 2009 vintage, because when they do less maceration – especially in the end, as alcohol extracts the harsh tannins – and the wines are fresher and more drinkable, offering prime harmony in the palate as well as freshness and drinkability. Importer: Europvin USA, www.europvin.com