Telmo Rodriguez Matallana 2023 Ribera del Duero - OWC6

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux 
96 punten
Love the unfussy brilliance of this wine. So much depth, spiralling through the palate, liqourice root, slate, olive pit, lavender, sleek blue and black fruits, characterful and lifted, precise, vivid, mouthwatering. 21.5ha across eleven vineyards, winemakers Telmo Rodriguez and Pablo Eguzkiza.

Wine Advocate
97 punten
Since in 1998, the project has taken a different approach to Ribera del Duero, focusing on reviving historic wine villages and replanting vineyards in their best soils, from the limestone slopes of Sotillo de la Ribera to the red-hued hills of Pardilla, aiming to create a distinctive, site-driven expression of the region. Today, Matallana comprises 21.5 hectares of estate vineyards, most planted over the last 20 years, in a style that emulates old vineyards. The 2023 vintage was warm, with high temperatures in summer and autumn and uneven rainfall patterns, including a dry spring but a wetter summer and relatively normal autumn. A notable late-season warm spell in September helped complete ripening and protected the grapes from fungal pressure, resulting in a balanced maturation. The 2023 Matallana fermented in oak and stainless steel vats with indigenous yeasts and matured in French oak barrels of different ages for 14 months. It's still young, creamy and covered by the baby fat and some smoky and spicy notes from the élevage. It's a wine for the long haul; it's balanced, powerful and elegant, with the stuffing and harmony to develop nicely in bottle. It should make a classical Ribera bottle: relaxed, with character and a fine thread, a velvety palate, elegant and with very fine tannins. Just 13,369 bottles were produced, which is a lot less than in 2022. It was bottled in July 2025.

The Wine Cellar Insider
97+ punten
(Ribera Del Duero DO; from a blend of Tinto Fino, Navarro, Valenciano, Albillo and other varietals sourced from the best sites in Sotillo de la Ribera, Roas, Fuentecén, Fuentemolinos and Pardilla – a total of 11 vineyards and 21.5 hectares; fermented in oak vats and tanks with indigenous yeasts; aged for 14 months in French oak barrels; 14% alcohol). Darker-fruited, more substantial and distinctly spicier than Dolio (tasted just before) but with the same essential lift and clarity. The tannins are, again, gorgeous – here a little more serious, persistent and massaging of the fruit. Myrrh and incense are more evident; Dolio, in contrast, is more floral. The two wines have staggeringly different personalities and yet some notable similarities too, above all in terms of the precision and elegance they display. Equally impressive, equally captivating, equally beguiling, though this offers a longer future I feel with greater tannic density on the finish.

James Suckling
97 punten
Dark fruit, spices and thyme with stony austerity. Medium- to full-bodied, leaning toward medium. Incisive and fresh. Vibrant and cohesive with an angular palate and very focused, chalky tannins. This needs some time.

Decanter
94 punten
An elevated, dynamic take on Ribera del Duero. There's a welcome red fruit and pink citrus freshness flowing under the poached cherry and plum, all lined with Rooibos tea, tobacco leaves and thyme. The tannins are smooth, pleasantly glazed with sloe liqueur and sprinkled with salty liquorice. Underneath a layer of wet soil gives the wine earthy gravitas. Lovely finish, with a vibrant twist of sour cherry and pink grapefruit zest. Enveloping, warming drinkability paired with the promise of good development in bottle.

Jeb Dunnuck
94 punten
As good but different than the 2022, the 2023 Matallana is also a field blend of bush-vined Tinto Fino, Navarro, Valenciano, and Albillo from different plots and soils in Burgos and Anguix. Still developing, it also spent 14 months in French oak but is more demure, medium-bodied, and elegant on the palate, with less alcohol and brightened acidity. Graphite, dried herb, and cassis mingle on the palate. Lower production by some 10,000 bottles than the 2022, hold and drink 2028-2042.