The real Ribera (without makeup)

This wine is a tribute to Rafa, the winemaker's son, and that tells you something: there's no smoke and mirrors here. If you're expecting the typical heavy Ribera del Duero that smells like freshly varnished oak furniture, you've picked the wrong bottle. This is pure fruit, old vines, and the pride of a village (La Aguilera) that does things its own way.

Instructions for use

If you want to honor the work inside this bottle, heed this:

• Neither cold nor hot: This wine has a rustic soul and great finesse. Don't put it in the refrigerator until it freezes, but don't leave it in the sun either. Its sweetness level is between... 14º and 16ºC. If you serve it at room temperature in summer, you'll be missing half the movie.

• Give it some air: Unlike other more industrial red wines, this is a "living" wine. It doesn't need two hours of decanting, but if you open it... 15 or 20 minutes before Once you start drinking, you'll see how she stretches out and tells you things she doesn't say in the first minute.

• What to bite with: It's an elegant wine, so don't overpower it with ultra-spicy food. It practically begs for lamb chops, a slightly spicy aged cheese, or simply some good bread with olive oil and ham. It's a wine to enjoy the raw ingredients, without any fuss.

The ritual

Don't fuss over the glassware, but use a glass that allows you to get a good look in the aroma. Before the first sip, take a deep breath. It smells of the countryside, of red fruit and earth. Then take a sip and forget everything else. You're drinking a vineyard from one of the best areas of Ribera del Duero.

Health.