From Pétrus to Pepe Yllera: Exceptional Tempranillo Awaits ($17.99)

2020 Yllera "Pepe Yllera" Ribera del Duero ($17.99)

92 points Wine Advocate: "The spicy and peppery 2020 Pepe Yllera was an improvement over the already great 2019 I tasted next to it. It's serious, fresh, juicy, velvety and balanced. They told me 2020 (and 2021) was a vintage when the Cabernet Sauvignon ripened thoroughly. It's medium-bodied, velvety and very tasty, fresh, elegant, serious and young. This tasted like a much more expensive bottle of wine. (LG)" (01/2023)

92 points Peñin Guide: "COLOUR: dark-red cherry. AROMA: toasty, spicy, cocoa bean, ripe fruit, black fruit. FLAVOUR: flavourful, toasty, fine bitter notes, slightly dry, soft tannins." (06/2023)

K&L Notes: Bodegas Yllera is a project that was founded by brothers Jesus and Pepe Yllera in the early 1970s. Fifth-generation grape growers, they were at the forefront of the success of Rueda and Verdejo in Spain. After creating a name for themselves with white wines, they expanded into nearby Ribera del Duero in the mid-1980s. They sustainably farm their vineyards that are in the "Golden Mile", the heart of Ribera del Duero. In the mid-2010s, the Yllera family partnered with famed Pétrus and Dominus winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet to create Vivaltus, one of the new cult star wines of the region. With the addition of the famed French winemaker, all their red wines have been elevated since. The Pepe Yllera is named for the younger of the founding brothers. It is a blend of mostly Tempranillo with a small amount of Cabernet and Merlot. It was aged for 10 months in a mix of French and American oak barrels of various sizes. This delivers classic Ribera del Duero power with a touch of restraint and elegance.

Kirk Walker | K&L Spain Buyer | Review Date: July 02, 2024

Ribera del Duero is the place to go when you want Tempranillo with a little more power than what you'd find in Rioja. It is the perfect place to start exploring what Spanish wine has to offer if you are a Cabernet Sauvignon drinker. This could be why this region attracts the attention of so many Bordeaux producers. In this wine, we can immediately taste the impact of working with a Right Bank winemaker, and not just any winemaker, but the former winemaker of Pétrus, Jean-Claude Berrouet. The region famed for its power can be tamed, especially on the high end, but to find the sense of restraint that this wine displays, at this price point, is rare. From the outset the nose of the wine tells you that there is something more. The fruit is vibrant and dark, with immediate charm. There are subtle layers of herbs and oak spice from not only the restrained used of French and American oak, but also the inclusion of Cabernet—it just adds another layer to the Tempranillo. It is almost full-bodied and stolidly built. The fruit shines all the way to the finish with this. It is not a fruit bomb. There is the subtle oak spice, a subtle earthy tone, and that unique stony quality that you can find in the best Ribera del Dueros. A great wine to reach for when you want something just a little more substantial than a Rioja but not something that will dominate the meal.