2007 Federico Roble - Ribera del Duero

Federico Fernandez (brother of Alejandro Fernandez of Pesquera fame) runs a small winery in Ribera del Duero. Bodegas Federico uses all estate fruit from 70 hectares of old vine Tinto Fino. They still adhere to the traditional practice of classifying their wines as Roble, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva depending on how much time they spend ageing in oak. Federico Roble is the young wine from this bodega. It spends just six months ageing in barrel before bottling. The resulting wine expresses the earthy minerality of the region in a bold, fresh style. As ever, the pairing for all good Ribera del Duero is lamb in all its guises (chops, roasts, stews, you name it).