Telmo Rodríguez - Matallana 2020 (750ml)
Price: $79.99
| Producer | Telmo Rodríguez |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Castilla y León |
| Varietal | Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), Bobal, Grenache, Albillo |
| Vintage | 2020 |
| Sku | 205799 |
| Size | 750ml |
 |
Telmo Rodríguez Description
Telmo Rodríguez has spent decades exploring Spain’s historic terroirs while restoring the traditional winemaking of centuries past. Meanwhile, Telmo has quietly been creating a second Tempranillo masterpiece in Ribera del Duero. Named “Matallana,” its limited distribution in the U.S. has made some vintages as scarce as Las Beatas.
In creating Matallana, Telmo listened to the region’s old-timers, who steered him in the direction of making wine as they also did in Barolo, by assembling fruit from many villages to achieve ideal balance and complexity.
He set his sights on five pueblos, ranging from north to south, for the full breadth of the region’s diverse soils, climates, and exposures. Soon enough, he had a palette of eleven terroirs to draw from, both old and young vineyards, all bush-pruned and planted to traditional densities. The terroirs range from the calcareous slopes of northern Sotillo de la Ribera and Roa to Fuentecén and Fuentemolinos on the central plateau. Finally, there are the higher-altitude, metamorphic red soils of Pardilla in the warmer south. From these sites, using classic methods, Telmo has crafted a wine Gutiérrez calls “a Ribera like the ones from yesteryear!”
Wine Advocate: 96 Points
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.
Vinous: 94 Points
Reclaiming vineyards from neglect epitomizes the essence of the Lanzaga project, and the 2020 Matallana is a shining example. Sourced from vines resurrected in 1998, this wine is a field blend of Tinto Fino, Navarro, Valenciano, Albillo, and other varieties from old vines in Ribera del Duero. Aged for 14 months in French oak barrels, it exhibits a deep purple hue. On the nose, ripe plums and cherries mingle with herbal and floral hints, all underscored by a cedar backdrop. The palate is dry, rich and chalky, with robust structure and a lingering, taut expression.
