2022 Dominio de Pingus "Pingus", Ribera del Duero (WA98-100 PTS.)

Dominio de Pingus is considered the most important Spanish wine of the modern era. It has the dubious distinction of being Spain’s first “cult wine” fetching prices that have surpassed the legendary icon, Vega Sicilia’ Unico and Reserva Especiale.  Pingus joins the ranks of the world's most coveted wines in the world including Coche Dury's Corton-Charlemagne, Ch. Rayas, and Giacomo Conterno's "Monfortino". With prestige comes a hefty price tag and Pingus has hit the stratosphere based on global demands. With Pingus, Peter’s vision was to push Tempranillo to its upper limits. He spent the first few years pruning his vines back to a healthy balance—the trunks were straightened, lowered, and canes were pruned back to 1-2 buds per cane. Yields have typically been under one ton per acre. Pingus is fermented in large wooden vats and, once in cask, is mostly left alone. While early vintages employed a high proportion of new barrique for aging, Peter has decreased that amount over time to t