🍷 Flor De Pingus 2020 Lot 1 Wine Review &Tasting

Flor de Pingus 2020 on its side next to a woven placemat

Produced by Dominio de Pingus, Flor de Pingus ("Flower of Pingus") is crafted annually in limited quantities as a younger and more approachable alternative to the super premium flagship Pingus bearing the winery's full name and commonly retailing above $1000. In 1993, Danish oenologist Peter Sisseck arrived in Spain to make wine for Hacienda Monasterio. While in country, he fell in love with the old Tinto Fino vines in Ribera. Two years later, he came across some vineyards with even older Tinto Fino vines and bought them, infatuated with the possibility of crafting small batch excellence from majority old growth vines. He named the estate "Pingus" after his childhood nickname. The brand shot to immediate fame in 1996 when Robert Parker of Wine Advocate awarded the flagship bottle an unheard-of 96-100 point score. Interestingly enough, the first vintage of Flor de Pingus was almost lost entirely when a container ship sank in the North Atlantic in 1998. Flor features slightly more young-vine fruit, macerated and fermented with up to 40% whole clusters for two to three weeks. After malolactic fermentation is complete, the wine is racked into French oak barrels where it is left to mature for around 18months. As Sisseck has had more time to build out mature vines, the use of new vine grapes has continued to decrease in prevalence. The wine that results is touted as being some of the best in the world, with Wine Advocate saying: “In the price/quality sweepstakes, this might be Spain’s finest wine.”

Flor de Pingus 2020 on a table with the cork resting on the wood with a full wine glass next to it

🛒Sourced: Gifted from a dear friend for my 30th birthday, commonly around $130. The bottle is elegant with simple labeling; the name sells itself. It also features multiple quality indicators including a regional duty stamp and a Bubble Tag on the Ethereum blockchain, scanned via QR code overlapping the top bottle seal.

Wine quality verified as encoded on Ethereum, webpage obtained after scanning QR code

Pingus on the Blockchain

🌎Origin: Spain's Ribera Del Duero region, one of the country's top red wine producing areas. It is located in the northwest of the country, about two hours north of Madrid, at the center of Castilla y León which is Spain’s largest or state. Ribera del Duero, "Riverbanks of the Duero", runs from the east of Aranda del Duero westward to Valladolid. The area has a dynamic climate with dry summers and long winters to produce wide temperature ranges. Rainfall is somewhat limited, and the grapes that grow there are small with thick skins, benefitting from an optimal slow ripening cycle which peaks late in the season.

image of old grape vines tempranillo grapes in spain beautiful and dark

Tempranillo Grapes on the Vine

🍇Variety: The grape varietal is 100% Tempranillo, known for the following qualities:

Aromatic: Often exhibits aromas of red fruits, such as cherry, strawberry, and raspberry, as well as notes of spice, tobacco, and leather.
Tannins: Moderate-high tannins, contributing to the wine's structure and strong aging potential
Acidity: Typically have good acidity, balancing the tannins and providing freshness
Versatility: The grape can produce wines ranging from light and fruity to full-bodied and complex, depending on the region, climate, and winemaking techniques.

Pingus focuses on sustainable growing practices maintaining grape trunks that are straight, lowered, and pruned back to 1-2 buds per cane. Yields have typically been under one ton per acre.

🍷 Served: Slightly chilled, about 64F in a Bordeaux glass, rested 10 minutes. Accompanied by steak dinner, salad, sweet potatoes, & cheese bread.

🧪Proof: 28 proof, 14% ABV

🎨Color: Ruby red, medium to thick legs

👃Nose: Berry forward and relatively sweet, can tell there is some tannin or acid bite

😜Palate: On the lighter side of medium body, plum and blackberry. Balanced and not overly dry or sweet. Tannins are abundant. Very clean.

💦Finish: Fairly short, a small bite but full flavors persist.

🏆 Overall: 7.5/10 Great Well Above Average What started as a joke turned out to be a whole lot more (illustrative quote below). Flor de Pingus delivers a very smooth and satisfying experience. I am thinking that it still has more to show us, perhaps in another year. For the cost there may be other comparable bottles, but I truly enjoyed taking a look into the portfolio of one of the world's greatest wineries for less than a box of ziti.

"At the yacht club, straight up uncorking it, and by it, I mean my Pingus."

'bottle of Flor de Pingus 2020 red wine on a table on a yacht with a sunset view in the background' wine bottle

Rating Scale:

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