Flor de Pingus 2020
Dominio de Pingus
Ribera del Duero

Grape: 100% Tempranillo

Flor de Pingus is treated to the same exacting viticulture as Pingus, and can rank among the region’s top wines on its own merits.

From the beginning, Peter has expressed his vision through two wines: Pingus and Flor de Pingus, the latter made from several parcels of old Tempranillo. In many respects Flor mirrors Pingus itself, with similarly high standards of winemaking and an equally deep commitment to biodynamic viticulture. It is no wonder that The Wine Advocate once wrote of Flor de Pingus: “In the price/quality sweepstakes, this might be Spain’s finest wine.”

• Sourced from 31ha of estate-owned, old, head-pruned vines in the La Horra zone.
• Fermented in open-top woodend tanks and aged for ~18 months in a mix of 2/3 old and 1/3 new French barrels.
• Tiny 6,500 case production

Since its birth, Flor de Pingus has been a worthy stablemate to one of the great thoroughbreds of wine, Pingus. Made from very old vines in and around the Ribera del Duero village of La Horra, it is crafted with the same care and genius as Pingus itself. But for years it lived in the shadow not only of Pingus, but of Peter Sisseck's even rarer Pingus Amelia.

Flor has now entered a new phase in its life, capturing the attention of collectors. We're seeing prices for older vintages climb, and we're seeing far more interest in filling in Flor de Pingus verticals, reflecting the fireworks you can get from a 10- to 20-year-old Flor. That sets the stage for the debut of 2020 Flor de Pingus at the end of the year. This vintage—a year that balances ripeness with finesse in an almost unprecedented way—promises to be one of the all time great Flors.

This is an amazing example of Peter Sisseck's artistry at a fantastic price.

WA96 Luis Gutierrez
"The sample I tasted of the 2020 Flor de Pingus was from a single barrique, so perhaps not 100% representative of what the final blend might be. But it feels really harmonious and elegant, with contained ripeness and very nice integration of the oak. The nose is super aromatic and floral, and the wine is perfumed and showy. The palate is surprisingly powerful, with some tannins that need polishing. It's going to need some more time in barrel. A mini-Pingus at a very different price."

The Flor de Pingus is a mosaic of different vineyards in the village of La Horra in Burgos, totaling some 35 hectares. As all these are estate vineyards, they were much better controlled than those used for PSI, and the wine shows it in a challenging vintage like this one. It has a slightly different profile from your average Ribera, with better freshness. The wine had only been in bottle for around one month, and the wine is open and expressive. There are some roasted aromas, black cherries, blackberries and plenty of spices with hints of smoke. It’s also a lighter version of Flor, and whether this will be as long-lived as other vintages, it’s still a question mark, as the extra acidity might give it a longer life than expected. In any case, give it some time in bottle to finish integrating the oak and drink over the next four-five years.