Telmo Rodriguez Matallana 2020

There is a change in the 2020 Matallana, as they have included Jean-Guillaume Prats (ex-Cos d'Estournel, ex-Lafite...) in the Ribera del Duero project, and the wine is going to be sold for the first time with this vintage through the négociant system of La Place de Bordeaux. The grapes from the five villages (mentioned but then crossed out on the label) were picked between the sixth and 18th of October and fermented with indigenous yeasts in stainless steel and oak vats. The wine matured in French oak barrels for 14 months. This is a little riper than the 2019 I tasted next to it, despite both being 14.5% alcohol (at least on the label). It follows the path of seriousness and austerity of the last few vintages and has a very calcareous mouthfeel with chalky tannins that lift up the finish. 19,624 bottles produced. It was bottled in May 2022.

The best Matallana I have ever tasted, developing the best and most elusive quality in top Ribera: tightly grained finesse. Delicate aromas, with blackberry fruit and spicy notes from the oak that are enhancing the fruit. Dense but not overpowering in palate, silky, poised, tight but gentle. Toffee and blueberries in aftertaste, still a bit close. The wine needs some years to open up. Very good ribera, with a distinctive character.

A very elegant and complex red with super fine tannins that show a chalky and subtle white pepper character. Medium body. Fine integrated tannins which are creamy. Yet they are chewy and very typical for the region. So attractive now but this is built to age beautifully. A very refined wine for Ribera del Duero. Drinkable now, but better in three or four years.

The 2020 Matallana is blended from Tinto Fino, Navarro, Valenciano, and Albillo, among other varieties. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out of the glass with exuberant scents of baked black plums, black cherry compote, and dried mulberries with hints of dried Provence herbs, unsmoked cigars, and crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is packed with savory-laced black fruits supported by chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and earthy.