Moderately-Priced Reds from Bodegas Protos, Ribera del Duero

After tasting the d'Esclans rosés, I then headed off again to search for the elusive Grace Vineyard booth, but, yet again, got waylaid as I passed by that of Bodegas Protos (D.O.Ribera del Duero). The wines I tasted here, even the crianza, are marked with good concentration, deep, ripe, moderately dense dark fruit, spicy/toasty oak and licorice, all in a muscular/masculine style.



2006 Protos Crianza - The fruit (plum, black cherry, bit of raspberry liqueur and blackberry) is quite fresh, quite concentrated and hefty for a crianza, laced with black coffee, moderately creamy/toasty oak/vanilla/coconut cream, licorice with touches of cinnamon and clove. Though straightforward and still a bit young, it is already very approachable now.

2005 Protos Reserva - This was pretty impressive. Lots of quiet, almost brooding depth in the deeply-veined, somewhat smoky, meaty, cinnamon/nutmeg/clove/licorice/sweet pipe tobacco-infused slightly confited/dried, soft fruit (plum, prune, black cherry, kirsch, bit of blueberry). Not quite full-bodied, but pretty close to it. Smooth, warming, quite concentrated, nice complexity, acid is just a bit low for me and alcohol a bit elevated, but all somehow are in good enough balance - this comes off as a stylishly modern Ribera del Duero. For whatever it is worth, I understand it was recently awarded a gold medal as best in its class during the last UK based International Wine & Spirits Competition.

2001 Protos Gran Reserva - From an exceptional vintage in Ribera del Duero, this wine does its vintage justice. Quietly full-bodied with notable complexity, there is a lot going on in this wine. Good structure, masculine, confident push, notes of dark minerals, cocoa, tobacco, licorice, balsamico, cedar, violets, hint of ceps in the nicely rounded, deeply-veined fruit. Again, acid is a bit low for me and the wine comes off with a modern character, if not as stylishly as the 2005 Reserva.

2006 Protos Selección - Very concentrated and extracted, the use of more French oak than American is quite noticeable. Very deeply-veined, indulgently lush, molten, dried/confited dark fruit, black cherry, raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, kirsch, licorice, underlying, dark minerals, incense, loam and black coffee, vanilla bean, bit of unsweetened dark chocolate (the minerality and licorice are a more prononced). Still quite young but showing a lot of complexity now. May already be enjoyed with hearty roasts of beef, lamb, venison; but will also reward patience.


Protos Export Manager Luisa de Paz presented me the Protos line up.

Noel, Protos makes an excellent Verdejo.

Noel, Protos makes an excellent Verdejo.

Hi, Bob, yes, I know and believe I might have mentioned that in one of my previous posts here. If not, you may click on this. In those old notes, my friend Carlos Villar Bada was still Protos' export manager; and he is now CEO. I last saw Carlos at the Alimentaria in Barcelona this past March and we sipped on some of their Rueda Verdejo.

Thanks for the 2001 Protos GR note. I'm unfamiliar with this producere and so on an impulse I bought a couple of these during a 2-hours of layover in Barajas Airport last month. One bottle was somewhat madeirized and seemingly cooked, while the other, iirc, was unimpressive and similar to your TN in terms of being quite international in style. One thing I learned, and should have already learned through past experiences, is never ever buy at European so-called airport duty-free shops.
Regards.

One thing I learned, and should have already learned through past experiences, is never ever buy at European so-called airport duty-free shops.
Regards.

A lesson I've also learned recently - I picked up 3 bottles of 1987 López de Heredia Viña Tondonia Blanco at a shop in the Barcelona airport on my way home this past April and one was absolutely undrinkable (good thing it was cheap, around 23€ only if I recall properly). The next I opened was good though, the last one I still have.

[David M. Bueker]

Interesting comment regarding duty free, as last Friday Salil opened a bottle of 2008 Robert Weil Spatlese that he bought at theFrankfurt duty free. It was delicious. Perhaps not enough time to get its goose cooked?