Tinto Pesquera is the germ of the Familia Fernández Rivera group and a wine that marked a milestone when it appeared in Ribera del Duero in the 1970s. Today it’s one of the great labels in Spain. Tinto Pesquera Reserva 2018 (96 points from Wine Enthusiast) displays aromas of black fruit, spices, smoke and toast. Full and enveloping on the palate, with well-rounded tannins and great length.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
100% Tempranillo
Type of barrel
American oak barrels
Capacity (cl)
75
General Information
Tinto Pesquera Reserva 2018 is a single-varietal Tempranillo grown on old vines in the south-facing municipality of Pesquera de Duero at an altitude of over 800 metres above sea level. The wine has been aged for a minimum of 14 months in American oak barrels and a further 15 months in the bottle before its release.
The history of Bodegas Tinto Pesquera began in 1972 with Alejandro Fernández and his wife Esperanza Rivera. Three years later, in 1975, they began to make wine in a small sixteenth-century stone wine press. Its name is a tribute to Pesquera de Duero, the founders' hometown, where the winery is located.
Tinto Pesquera was a pioneer in introducing a potent and concentrated style of red wine, and within just a few years it had become a national and international name that began to earn the area fame even before the Denominación de Origen was established in 1982. The winery's recipe for success has remained unchanged for five decades: 100% Tempranillo and American oak. Its vines are more than 25 years old and are located in Pesquera de Duero, in sandy-loam soils at an altitude of more than 800 m above sea level with a harsh, predominantly continental climate.
The range of wines includes Tinto Pesquera Crianza, Reserva and Reserva Especial, Millenium Gran Reserva and MXI; the latter, with four vintages on the market, reflects the consolidation of the third generation of the family. The winery has now added its first and only white wine to its product range.
Bodegas Tinto Pesquera is the parent company of Familia Fernández Rivera, a wine group made up of three other wineries: Condado de Haza in Ribera del Duero, Dehesa la Granja in Zamora and El Vínculo in La Mancha; and the Hotel AF Pesquera.
Tinto Pesquera Reserva 2018 (D.O. Ribera del Duero) is perfect with stews, red meats and cured cheeses.
The winery
Behind this iconic winery is the Fernández Rivera family, originally from Pesquera de Duero (Valladolid). In 1975, this lineage produced the first vintage of Tinto Pesquera in a small 16th-century stone winepress: a revolutionary wine whose name refers to the town where the winery is located and the birthplace of its founders. Tinto Pesquera is considered the first luxury Ribera del Duero wine, at a time when - with the exception of Vega Sicilia - producers were focused on making claretes and very alcoholic reds of limited quality.
The success of Tinto Pesquera was decisive in the recognition of the D.O. Ribera del Duero in 1982, as well as its international projection. The winery gained worldwide fame when the guru Robert Parker awarded 98 points to Tinto Pesquera 1982, comparing it to Pétrus, one of the world's best wines. Tinto Pesquera opened new paths for winemaking with the tempranillo grape, driving a significant qualitative leap. Today, it remains a benchmark brand and the most beloved winery of the Familia Fernández Rivera group.