Flor de Pingus 2021 - Peter Sisseck

Flor de Pingus 2021 is the “second wine” of the legendary Pingus estate, but in quality it plays firmly in the top league of Ribera del Duero. Crafted by Danish-born cult winemaker Peter Sisseck from old-vine Tempranillo, it offers a powerful yet polished expression of the high plateau along the Duero River. This vintage continues the estate’s track record of intense concentration, precision, and elegance, all while remaining more accessible than the rare and extremely costly flagship Pingus.

Tasting Notes
In the glass, Flor de Pingus 2021 shows a deep, almost opaque purple-ruby hue with a vibrant rim, hinting at both its intensity and youthful energy. The nose is beautifully layered: ripe blackberries, dark cherries, and plums are wrapped in notes of violets, graphite, cocoa nibs, and sweet baking spices from carefully judged oak. Subtle hints of dried herbs, licorice, and warm earth underline its Ribera del Duero origins. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied and dense, yet remarkably refined. The old-vine Tempranillo delivers a core of concentrated black fruit, framed by finely grained tannins and a lively, balancing acidity. Flavors of blackberry compote, cassis, and black cherry meld with nuances of toasted oak, vanilla, cedar, and a touch of smoked meat and mineral-inflected earth. The finish is long, focused, and savory, suggesting excellent aging capacity. While already impressive with some air in its youth, Flor de Pingus 2021 will reward patience and can comfortably evolve for 10–15 years from vintage under good cellaring conditions.

Production
Flor de Pingus is sourced from old Tempranillo vines, typically 40–60 years of age, growing on the poor, well-drained soils of Ribera del Duero’s high plateau near the Duero River. Here, the combination of altitude, intense sunlight, and cool nights yields grapes of great concentration and natural freshness. Yields are naturally very low, further limiting production but enhancing depth and complexity. Grapes are harvested by hand, with strict sorting to ensure only perfectly ripe, healthy fruit makes it into the winery. Fermentation is carried out with great care to respect the character of the fruit, followed by maturation primarily in used barrels previously employed for Pingus, complemented by a selection of new French oak. This approach gives Flor de Pingus its hallmark balance of power, purity, and refined oak integration, without overshadowing the old-vine Tempranillo.

Food & Serving
Flor de Pingus 2021 is a superb partner for rich, flavorful dishes such as grilled or roasted lamb, dry-aged ribeye, Iberico pork, game (venison, wild boar), or slow-braised beef cheeks. It also shines alongside hearty stews, truffle-infused dishes, and mature hard cheeses like Manchego or aged Comté. Serve at 16–18°C to highlight both its fruit and complexity. For current drinking, decanting for 1–2 hours is highly recommended to allow the wine to open up fully; with additional bottle age, a shorter decant will suffice mainly to remove any sediment and gently awaken the aromas.

Producer
Peter Sisseck, the man behind Dominio de Pingus, has become one of Spain’s most revered winemakers and a modern icon of Ribera del Duero. Originally from Denmark, he discovered his passion for wine while working at his uncle’s estate in Bordeaux as a teenager, eventually bringing that experience and vision to Spain in the early 1990s. The debut vintage of Pingus in 1995 took the wine world by storm, quickly gaining cult status and redefining what Spanish Tempranillo could be. Flor de Pingus was created soon after as a more accessible yet still profoundly serious expression of the same terroir, using old vines from neighboring parcels and barrels largely shared with Pingus. Today, Sisseck’s wines—Pingus, Flor de Pingus, and PSI—are benchmarks for the region, celebrated for their meticulous craftsmanship, respect for old vines, and consistently high critical acclaim.