It's Not A Baby Pingus…
Flor de Pingus Is All Grown Up

What’s a Dane got to do with Ribera del Duero?

Revitalizing the region!

If it were not for Peter Sisseck’s commitment to making wine from old-vine Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero, the re-birth and revitalization of the region may have been set back another 25 years. The Danish winemaker exploded onto the wine world scene in a massive global way with the creation and release of Pingus. Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate was quickly enthralled and the rest is history as they say. In reality, it is a story of trials and tribulations, growing a winery and healthy vineyards and living up to the early accolades and promise that everyone bestowed on the wine and the man.

Sisseck has worked tirelessly to establish Dominio de Pingus as one of the finest wines of the world.  It is much like raising children, there are moments of glory and then there are of course low points of concern. Above all there is learning curve as you go, maturing yourself as you raise the little ones. For someone like Sisseck who is so fully invested in the project, the wines are like children.

Flor de Pingus is not a baby Pingus. A wine of the estate that is purely its own with dedicated vineyards parcels from within the estate as well as long-term contracted sites throughout the Ribera del Duero. This is not a second wine.  Flor de Pingus was never intended or planned to be the “left-over” Pingus. However, the character and identity of Flor de Pingus has taken longer to establish than Pingus.  

Much like Pingus, Flor de Pingus was to have been and now is an expression of old-vine Tempranillo. However, the path to Flor de Pingus was not as easy and smooth. The first vintage, 1995, met a tragic fate when the cargo ship carrying the majority of the vintage to the USA sank while crossing the Atlantic. Then Sisseck was unable to produce the 1997 or 1998 vintages due to consistent quality of old-vine fruit. The 1999 vintage Flor de Pingus pivoted slightly, pulling in more younger vine Tempranillo and continued this way for years as Sisseck refined the vineyard parcels and assisted growers with farming practices and replanting. Today, Flor de Pingus is primarily old-vine Tempranillo supported by younger vines of massale selections sourced from the best vines and parcels that produce Pingus.  

Flor de Pingus is a modern-day expression of Ribera del Duero that represents the region's vast diversity of micro-climates. With less and less new oak used and more and more whole cluster, Flor de Pingus over the years has grown and evolved remarkably to be one of the finest expressions of the region and a specific vintage.  

The 2019 Flor de Pingus showcases this growth and progression. A wine that is generous and lifted, the 2019 is not only aromatically intoxicating but also so alluring on the palate with its myriad of textures and layers. This is a bold and full-bodied Ribera del Duero that shows the characteristics of the vintage aptly without overpowering and without over extraction. The personality of Ribera del Duero is on full display here and is not overshadowed by winemaking or modernity, instead it is a promising youthful Ribera del Duero that any parent would be proud of.

Cheers,
Jeremy