PEREZ PASCUAS
RIBERA DEL DUERO, SPAIN
WHY BUY: Power. Structure. Finesse. Length. The wines from Pérez Pascuas have it all, and when it comes to their exceptional reserve portfolio (from which we've drawn two 96-pointers and a 95-pointer) we'd be remiss for not pointing out that they were produced from old, old vines (more than 80 years, in certain expressions). Speaking of old: these guys belong to the old-guard of Ribera del Duero, and have established themselves as keepers of a tradition: these are big, powerful wines, but also classically proportioned, well-structured, and built for the long haul. Some of them are ready to go right now, others will continue to age for another 30 years or more. All of them represent the very best of a very great region.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: Jeb Dunnuck reserved his most enthusiastic praise for the Viña Pedrosa Gran Reserva 2019, awarding it 96 points and singling out its "sweet, supple tannins and full-bodied volume and structure” — a wine, he added, that's "drinking well already" but cellar-worthy for "another 20-30 years." The Wine Advocate matched that 96-point score for the Pérez Pascuas Gran Selección 2016, hailing its "complexity, elegance and a very harmonious palate with velvety tannins, pungent flavors and great persistence.” The WA weighed in as well on two others: the 95-point Gran Selección 2018, a “classical” wine of "slightly dusty tannins” and ongoing aging potential, and the 94-point Viña Pedrosa Reserva 2021, a "powerful and ripe” expression, but with "the freshness from the vintage and the fine tannins from the long cycle."
OUR TASTING NOTES: In our recent portfolio tour of Pérez Pascuas, what struck us first, and what stayed with us to the end and even beyond, is how assured the winemaking is. They exude the quiet, expanding power of all great Ribera del Duero, and the oaking is handled with such restraint that the fruit, that gorgeous Tempranillo fruit, is somehow never buried in the mix. The textures are what won us over. There's a silken quality to these wines that feels earned somehow, as opposed to willed or engineered, and the tannins have been mellowed by long aging to the point that they've become caressing and soft. And there’s a persistence on the finish of all five of these, but particularly the Gran Selecciones, that you simply won’t find in younger vines with shorter cellaring. About those Gran Selecciones: these are wines for sitting and swirling and sipping away the hours. But please don’t mistake their lack of flash for an absence of power or presence. They’re built more for contemplation than to dazzle you at first sip, but they’re commanding and complex. And they reveal more on the second glass than the first, and more again on the third.
THE STORY: If you were looking to plant your flag in Ribera del Duero, 1980 was not the best of years. Locals were pulling out vines and selling their plots, abandoning the region's grape-growing heritage for the prospect of city work and a steadier paycheck. Most observers would have called the small Castilian wine country a dying business. The brothers Pérez Pascuas (Benjamín, Manuel, and Adolfo) saw things differently. They were the sons of Mauro Pérez, who had planted vineyards in Pedrosa de Duero in the 1940s and 50s, back when grape-growing was something that was done mainly to supply the cooperative down the road. They had bigger ambitions. They wanted to make wine — their own wine, on their own terms — and they believed Ribera del Duero, despite all evidence to the contrary, was a great place to do it. Two years after founding the bodega, they were among the small group of producers who helped establish D.O. Ribera del Duero in 1982, the appellation that has since become synonymous with some of Spain's most thrilling reds. The brothers, in other words, didn't just stay through Ribera del Duero's hardest years. They helped invent the version of Ribera del Duero we know today. The bodega is still family-owned, still family-run, with the second generation now at the controls. The traditional hierarchy holds (Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva), and the Gran Selecciones at the top emerge only in standout vintages, from the oldest vines, with extra time in both barrel and bottle before release. Call it patience as a winemaking philosophy, or call it pure stubbornness; whatever you call it, one thing is for sure: it works.
WHAT TO PAIR THEM WITH: These are wines that call for serious, attentive, detailed cooking. Roast lamb with rosemary and garlic. Slow-braised oxtail. Manchego aged till it's nearly granular. They'll also rise to the occasion alongside Moroccan kebabs, Korean galbi, or a Peruvian lomo saltado. The Crianza handles lighter fare beautifully — think roast chicken with herbs, or a pasta with sausage and broccoli rabe.
FUN FACT: Tempranillo is the most planted grape variety in all of Spain, accounting for an estimated 499,000 acres of all vineyards.
OUR GUARANTEE: As always, we only source directly from the producer to ensure that your wines arrive as they should, and as you deserve: with pristine provenance guaranteed. Secure your bottles and cases today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Summer 2026. With the supply chain issues that we are seeing globally, there may be some unforeseen delays which could affect the ETA. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. Offer not valid in CT, KS, MI, NY, OK, or TN. This offer is valid for TWO WEEKS, or until sold out, and will expire on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026.