Alfredo Maestro Viña Almate La Asperilla

Interesting but flawed

I bought this wine in yet another attempt at liking a wine from Ribera del Duero, a region that, perhaps like no other in Spain, suffered at the hands of Robert Parker's taste for misshapen over-ripe, over-extracted, jammy, woody wines when he was in charge of the Wine Advocate. While Alfredo Maestro's intentions are to counteract that noxious tendency, the results are uneven. The oak is still very noticeable, the acidity tinged with an uncomfortable spritz and a bloated texture. Over two days the wine changed continuously, which is great, but then the oak kept intruding and the sharpness of the acidity increased. I think these wines are a work-in-progress and it may be that Alfredo Maestro is onto something... but only time will tell.