2016 Flor de Pingus

Peter Sisseck’s influence on Ribera del Duero’s worldwide reputation cannot be overstated. His Pingus is now considered to be one of Spain’s and the world’s greatest red wines, with a price to match. It’s always a pleasure, not to mention a rare occurrence, to be able to drink Pingus, but the good news is that his two other bottlings, Flor de Pingus and PSI, which he makes from purchased grapes, are more readily available and, in the context of the region’s best wines, real values. Flor de Pingus has been steadily increasing in reputation and demand, and while it isn’t cheap, compared to wines of similar quality from the great winegrowing regions of the world, it delivers solid value. As for the PSI, it’s simply an outstanding example of Ribera del Duero for a very fair price. Plus, readers will be able find it fairly easily. Sisseck has been dialing the oak treatment way back for all of his wines over the last decade, and current releases show more finesse and precision than those of 25 years ago, when he set up this bodega.