Supernova Reserva 2020
A Ribera del Duero born from old vineyards and with a family spirit
Supernova Reserva 2020, from Bodegas Briego, is a Tempranillo born from old vines at altitude that offers an intense, elegant and balanced profile.
Supernova Reserva 2020 is a Ribera del Duero wine aimed at those seeking a wine with character, but also with that approachable touch that invites you to keep drinking. It comes from Tempranillo grapes from old vines grown in Fompedraza and other plots in the Peñafiel valley; a blend that provides balance, depth and a lot of personality. Its 18-month maturation in American and French oak barrels rounds out the whole with a very well integrated ageing.
The Briego estate vineyards are spread across Fompedraza, Peñafiel and Curiel, in an area where altitude and soils truly make the difference. Here calcareous plots up high coexist with others with a sandier and siliceous profile in the valley, and that combination gives two very interesting facets to the wine: structure and finesse.
Bodegas Briego, led by the Benito Hernando family and with Fernando Benito at the helm of the winemaking, is a label closely tied to the revival of traditional vineyard in this region. Their work starts with respect for the old vines and careful production, aiming for red wines with identity, serious, but without losing approachability. Like Supernova Reserva 2020.
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
100% Tempranillo
Type of barrel
American and French oak barrels
Type of bottle
Bordeaux Bottle
Barrel aging time
18 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Alcohol content (% vol.)
14.5
Making process
Aging
18 meses en barricas de roble americano y francés.
Vineyard
Description
Supernova Reserva 2020 comes from Bodegas Briego’s own old vines spread across Fompedraza, Peñafiel and Curiel, with plots located on both the upper slopes and in the valleys. In Fompedraza, at 910 metres above sea level, calcareous soils and moorland exposure predominate, imparting a firmer, more intense tannin to the wine; in the valley, at 750 metres above sea level, sandy soils with chert stones favour higher ripeness and a more delicate profile. The combination of different altitudes and orientations allows for the management of a very expressive vineyard, where the Ribera del Duero character is shown with balance and personality. It is made with Tempranillo, the native variety that dominates these old vineyards and defines the style of the wine.
Viticulture
Supernova Reserva 2020 stems from old vines spread between Fompedraza, Peñafiel and Curiel. Bodegas Briego works these plots seeking the most authentic expression of each soil and altitude: the hillside grapes, in Fompedraza, provide structure and balanced ripeness, while those from the valley add finesse, freshness and a more delicate tannin. The result is a traditionally styled approach to viticulture, based on respect for the vineyard and the recovery of old clonal stocks of Tempranillo, to produce wines with more concentration, personality and ageing potential.
Tasting notes
View
Bright ripe cherry red colour, with a ruby edge and very good depth.
Nose
The nose is complex, intense and elegant. Prominent forest fruit aromas at the moment, with raspberry and blackberry in the foreground. Then come spicy notes of pepper, clove and bay leaf. Delicate dairy tones, toasted nuances and a tobacco undertone that add depth and character.
Mouth
Supernova Reserva 2020 stands out on the palate for its savoury character and its good fruit emphasis, with a well-balanced acidity that brings freshness to the whole. The palate is broad and harmonious, with a profile clearly defined by the fruit and ageing, and it finishes with a persistent, elegant finish, with pleasant hints of bergamot.
The winery
Heirs to a wise winemaking tradition, the Benito Hernando brothers -Gaspar, Fernando, and Javier- have developed the Bodegas Briego project (1992), positioning their wines as true representatives of the finest Ribera character. This family is responsible for revitalizing the winemaking production in Fompedraza, where their base of operations is located and where they manage 75 hectares of their own vineyards, including some plots cultivated with tinto fino or tempranillo vines that are seven decades old. This heritage has been forged by restructuring and recovering ancient vineyards situated in the municipalities of Curiel de Duero, Peñafiel, and Fompedraza, as well as planting new plots in 1988, which now have reached three decades of age.
The search for the best ‘terroirs’ in Ribera del Duero for cultivating tempranillo allows Bodegas Briego to have vineyards with diverse exposures and orientations, both in valleys and on slopes (up to 910 meters above sea level). With this approach, based on old vineyards and slow, respectful winemaking processes, magnificent age-worthy red wines are born, where time becomes a faithful ally in achieving true oenological treasures.
The magazine Magazine & Guía de Vinos AkataVino, along with the jury of the CIVAS competition, awarded the prize for Best Ribera del Duero Wine in 2022 to Briego Gran Reserva 2011.