At an exclusive tasting, guests were among
the first to taste a yet-to-be-released wine from Protos – a fitting surprise from a producer with its pioneering spirit in its name.
In partnership with PROTOS
A few weeks ago, Decanter once again welcomed an iconic producer to its tasting suite in London: guests had a chance to hear directly from the team at Protos, the pioneering Ribera del Duero producer, who presented an exclusive selection including wines no longer commercially available – and some not yet released.
The event was led by winemaker Pedro Martín Hinojal and Daniel de Manuel, Protos’ export manager, and co-hosted by Ines Salpico, Decanter’s Regional Editor for Spain. Manuel opened the session with an overview of the producer’s origins and history – which are inextricably linked to that of DO Ribera del Duero itself.
Gianni Zucchetto, export manager at Ruggeri
The company remains, remarkably, in the hands of its founders’ descendants. This helps to explain the strategic and stylistic continuity that has allowed Protos to evolve and grow while remaining true to its founding ethos. From its humble, yet determined, beginnings, Protos has expanded into the neighbouring DOs of Cigales and Rueda, where it produces rosé and white wine ranges, respectively, to complement its core Ribera del Duero collection.
Hinojal is responsible for the Cigales winery, where he leads the production of Clarete de Protos and Aire de Protos – which was served to guests upon arrival. Alongside cheese and other nibbles, this rosé made for a refreshing welcome that also served as an introduction to Manuel’s description of Protos’ different wineries and landscapes.
If Aire helped to contextualise Protos’ operations in DO Cigales, the first wine in the tasting line-up proper – Verdejo Reserva 2020 – introduced DO Rueda. Protos has operated a facility in this white wine appellation southwest of Ribera del Duero since 2006.
Throughout the session, the winemaker offered playful food-pairing advice, encouraging attendees to question assumptions about how best to enjoy wine from Ribera del Duero
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Hinojal then plunged into Protos’ foundations and legacy in Ribera del Duero, with three wines from the 2021 vintage, starting with Protos'27 2021, the wine that pays tribute to the first label released by Bodega Ribera del Duero, as it was then known. This was followed by 5º Año – a reserva released, as its name suggests, five years after harvest – and Finca El Grajo Viejo 2021, a single-vineyard Tinta del País from 70-year-old vines.
For each of these wines, and throughout the session, the winemaker offered playful food-pairing advice, encouraging attendees to question assumptions about how best to enjoy wine from Ribera del Duero.
The highlight of the tasting was undoubtedly the exclusive opportunity to taste Protos’ new wine, Carroa 2021, ahead of its upcoming release. Its muscular elegance and freshness stood out, underpinning the concentrated fruit. Guests were visibly excited, recognising the privilege of being the first to taste this expression of Ribera del Duero that reinterprets the region’s trademark complexity through a modern lens.
‘Toasty almond and wild fennel dominate the nose, against an expressive backdrop of yellow apple, Asian pear and lemon curd…’
Score 91
Verdejo Reserva
Rueda 2020
‘Juicy yet smoky tannins frame the luscious blackcurrant, plum and and poached cherry… one for roasted lamb, morcilla (blood sausage) and spicy tuna…’
Score 91
Protos'27
Ribera del Duero 2021
‘Nuanced nose, with intense dark fruit topped with pencil shavings and graphite dust… Muscular yet lean, with a really pleasant textural appeal…’
Score 92
Reserva 5º Año
Ribera del Duero 2019
‘Loads of character and expressiveness in this single-vineyard bottling… Fragrant sage and basil play against broody tobacco and cherry leaves…’
Score 93
Selección Finca El Grajo Viejo
Ribera del Duero 2021
The highlight of the tasting was undoubtedly the exclusive opportunity to taste Protos’ new wine, Carroa 2021, ahead of its upcoming release
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‘Very accomplished inaugural release of this wine… Distinctly mineral and round, with a refreshing chalkiness on the mid-palate… Great ageing potential…’
Score 94
Carroa
Ribera del Duero 2021
‘A thick layer of salty liquorice, vanilla, treacle and soy sauce coating the prune and dried cherry core. Intensely umami, with Portobello and shiitake mushrooms…’
Score 93
Gran Reserva
Ribera del Duero 1999
‘Great counterpoint to the 1999 vintage… a complex and long palate, supported by muscular tannins and balsamic lift. An undercurrant of refreshing red fruit…’
Score 94
Gran Reserva
Ribera del Duero 2001
‘Beautiful integration of alcohol, tannins and wood… plum, prune, sour cherry and pink grapefruit, with a liquorice kick lingering on the long, salty finish…’
Score 93
Gran Reserva
Ribera del Duero 2017
Tasting Notes
Discover more at Protos
Event photography: Lola García Photography
Daniel de Manuel, Protos’ export manager
Pedro Martín Hinojal, winemaker
Ruggeri wines are available in the UK from the Great Wine Co, imported by Enotria & Coe
But following Carroa, guests were presented with yet another unique tasting experience: a mini-vertical comprising the 2017, 2001 and 1999 vintages of Gran Reserva. It was an intriguing journey that highlighted the ageworthiness of Protos’ Gran Reserva as well as its evolution in structure and profile, a product of both changing weather conditions and adjustments to the teams’ approach in the cellar. This prompted an interesting discussion about the challenges faced by producers, the increasing need to work mindfully in the vineyard and the merits of committing to a long-term vision.
This was the perfect ending to a fascinating and entertaining session that left attendees with a thirst to visit Protos’ winery in Peñafiel – and pre-order a case of Carroa 2021.
Ines Salpico, Decanter’s Regional Editor for Spain
