Abadia Retuerta - Seleccion Especial 2019

From the 1960s onwards at Abadía Retuerta (by which point the estate had been taken into private ownership), wine production was further reduced and most of the vineyards were grubbed up in order to concentrate on the production of selected seeds. This process was finalised in the early 1980s, when the last of the grapevines were uprooted.

In 1988, the company Sandoz bought a Spanish seed business, which in turn owned the Abadía Retuerta estate. Noting the enormous and unique potential of this land, the company decided to “revive” the historic vineyard and bring back its winemaking tradition. In 1994, vigneron Pascal Delbeck (Château Ausone, Belair) joined the project and designed the current winery, which was built in 1996. That same year, Ángel Anocíbar, the current oenologist and director of the vineyard and winery, joined the team.

Since early 2022, Abadía Retuerta has had its own Protected Designation of Origin. This seal of approval, granted by the European Union, endorses the estate’s wine as a product of guaranteed origin, quality and tradition. The accolade is further confirmation of the exceptional soils at Abadía Retuerta, certifying that their wines are an authentic expression of the terroir. That is, the region’s particular climatic and geographical traits imbue the estate’s vineyards and grapes with unique attributes, so the resulting wines are full of genuine local character. This quality and identity all comes down to one crucial factor: the wines are made from the estate’s own grapes, which come straight from the vineyards and are processed in the winery on site.

Selección Especial is the first wine from Abadía Retuerta in which the best wines of the vintage are selected and blended together. All of the wines come from the estate’s own vineyard, which has been separated into 54 distinct plots. This wine mostly consists of Tempranillo, and it is complemented by other varieties from the estate.

“Profound and intense nose with some tapenade, black beans and cocoa powder that gives depth to the already deep blackberries. Hints of dark spices and cigar box, too. Plenty of palpable tannins evenly melt into full-bodied palate with juicy dark fruit. Brooding and long finish. Cabernet sauvignon, syrah, merlot and petit verdot. Drink or hold.” - 94 Points, James Suckling

“The 2019 Selección Especial, cropped from a warm and dry year, is composed of 64% Tempranillo, 15% Cabernet sauvignon, 14% Syrah, 6% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot and has 14.5% alcohol, coming through as riper than the 2020 I tasted next to it. It's also darker, round and powerful, with plenty of tannins, wide and concentrated. This is from a warm year, with lower yields, and it's a very powerful wine, balsamic with notes of aromatic herbs, a little more Mediterranean. 369,610 bottles produced and bottled in 27 lots after one year in barrel.” - 92 Points, Wine Advocate 

“The 2019 Selección Especial is a blend of 69% Tempranillo, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah, 4% Merlot, 2% Graciano and 1% Petit Verdot from Abadía Retuerta in Castilla y León and was aged for 12 months in French and American oak barrels. Garnet-red with a purple sheen. Cedar complements plum, camphor and spice aromas on the nose. Dry and fairly fruity, the finely-grained tannins support a mild, polished mouthfeel. The 2019 is a cosmopolitan red.” - 92 Points, Vinous

Producer: Abadia Retuerta 

Country: Spain

Region: Castilla y León

Varietal: Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Garnacha

Appellation: Abadia Retuerta

Vintage: 2019

Size: 750ml