If you want the true power of Spanish Tempranillo, look past Rioja and turn to Ribera del Duero—the high-altitude valley put on the map by Vega Sicilia and solidified by Pesquera. 

Picking up the baton is Hacienda Monasterio, the definitive benchmark of this modern era, a press darling boasting a staggering sixteen consecutive 92- to 96-point Wine Advocate reviews that prove this estate never misses. It delivers far more refinement out of the gate than a youthful, $450-$600 Vega Sicilia “Único”, and it’s crafted by Peter Sisseck—the mastermind behind Pingus, Spain’s ultimate cult wine that commands $900 to $1,300 a bottle for a current release and that’s if you can find it. . You can acquire well over a case of this breathtaking Reserva for the price of a single Pingus, capturing the exact same winemaking genius at an approachable tier where Pesquera left off.

This release is a broad-shouldered powerhouse engineered to command the attention of serious Napa Cabernet and Bordeaux collectors. Sisseck utilized a substantial 20% Cabernet Sauvignon component alongside 80% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), drawing the fruit from two sharply distinct terroirs to build immense structural muscle and complexity. The Tempranillo is rooted in the stark, white, limestone soils of the famed El Picón plot, driving mineral precision, while the Cabernet thrives in gravel and sand.

Awarding it a stellar 95 points, Luis Gutiérrez of The Wine Advocate praised Sisseck’s "neo-classical" shift away from the over-extracted blockbusters of old Ribera. By harvesting earlier to preserve a vibrant, food-friendly acidity and moving to larger French oak barrels, Sisseck has reined the alcohol into a beautifully balanced 14.5% ABV. The result is full-bodied, powerful, and elegant, carrying complex aromatics of orange peel and black olive tapenade backed by the structural stuffing to age brilliantly for decades. For the Spanish faithful or those building a serious cellar foundation, this is the ultimate benchmark to stock up on.

¡Viva España! 

Critical Acclaim: 

95 Points, Wine Advocate: 

The 2020 Reserva was produced with a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, a selection of two plots, mostly from the zone of El Picón below the winery where the soils are very white and rich in limestone and the Cabernet from the gravel and sandy soils. 2020 was a little warmer than 2021 but cooler than the following years, 2022 and 2023. This is always a very serious wine, and it has ripeness and 14.5% alcohol but very good balance and harmony, with enough freshness and acidity to come through as a powerful but elegant. The differences between this and the regular Hacienda Monasterio are basically the origin, the plots and a slightly higher percentage of Cabernet and perhaps a little more new oak (no more than 40%), because the Cabernet Sauvignon from Hacienda Monasterio takes the new oak very well compared with Tempranillo, because the grape ripens very well and integrates the oak very well. It is full-bodied, powerful and elegant, with stuffing and balance to develop nicely in bottle.