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Pesquera

Like many great winemakers, Alejandro Fernández, proprietor of Pesquera, pursued other careers before the dream of running his own bodega was realised. He first worked as a carpenter, then as a salesman, also as a designer of agricultural machinery. During all this time, however, he grew grapes on his own small vineyard, using them to make wine for his own consumption.

In 1972 Alejandro's dream began to take shape, as he and his wife, Esperenza, licensed their bodega in the town of Pesquera in Ribera del Duero. The estate now has over 500 acres of mature vineyard, situated on a variety of different soils. Vinification includes total destemming, maceration for up to twenty days and maturation in small oak barriques. The wines are neither filtered nor cold-stabilised. (4/4/02)

Contact details:
Address: Calle Real 2, 47315 Pesquera de Duero
Telephone: +34 956 870 037
Fax: +34 956 870 038
Internet: www.pesqueraafernandez.com

Pesquera - Tasting Notes

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Pesquera Ribera del Duero Crianza 2005: Made from 100% Tempranillo, this wine sees 18 months in American oak and 6 months in bottle before release. Today it seems open and quite wild on the nose, with dark and spicy fruit, although there is a precise and stony edge to it. Chillies, cherries and chocolate all intertwined here. An appealing style on the palate, rich and yet with a crisp and stony edge, and a touch more creamy in the midpalate. Well judged tannins. This has lots of positive style. Very good indeed. From a tasting with Woodwinters. 17+/20 (November 2008)

Pesquera Ribera del Duero Crianza 2003: The first bottle was corked. An interesting comparison with the Gotim Bru; this has a more traditional and winey feel to it, and is less expressive on the nose, showing some oil-polished oak. Nicely poised on the palate, reserved, nicely textured and balanced, and surprisingly not beset with tannins in the way many other wines of the vintage are. Very pleasing. Tasted in a backstreet bistro in Barcelona. 16/20 (October 2006)

Pesquera Ribera del Duero Reserva 1997: This wine has a deep, purple-black hue, suggesting power and richness. This comes through on the nose, which is laden with crushed and macerated summer berry fruits, with delightful rich nuances of chocolate and spice. There's also an appealing aroma of oak maturation. The palate has a similarly dense layer of spicy fruit, with ripe, firm yet supple tannins. There's a rich, glycerol edge, but it's all balanced out by superb acidity. 16.5/20 (April 2002) Label

Pesquera Ribera del Duero Tinto 1994: Denser colour. A euphemistically interesting nose; meaty, blackberry fruit, with American-style oak. But plenty of acetate and turpentine as well. Integrated palate, but firm tannins still showing. Nice creamy edge, and very tannic finish. Good, but the nose was off-putting. From a 1994 vintage ten year on tasting. 14/20 (December 2004)