2015 Vina Sastre "Pago de Santa Cruz" Ribera del Duero Gran Reserva

While most of us are familiar with Vega Sicilia's Unico, I think the majority of collectors and wine enthusiasts haven't explored the wealth of exceptional bottlings that exist outside of that iconic estate. Ribera del Duero's focus on mostly monovarietal Tempranillo from gnarly, goblet-trained vines that are nearly a century in age makes this region worth a deep dive. Additionally, the top producers' seamless marriage of traditional techniques (made famous by producers in Rioja like López de Heredia) and the lessons of 21st century winemaking science make this region a hotbed of world-class wines worthy and capable of decades of aging. The producer who I feel is the most overlooked PERIOD is Viña Sastre. While their Pésus bottling goes for $500-600 and is one of the most adored in all of Spain for savvy insider collectors, the winery remains mostly overlooked in the United States. The Viña Sastre Pago de Santa Cruz is a bottling that is released only in top years in a volume of less t