PSI is the 23rd letter in the Greek alphabet and is the name of Peter Sisseck's (of the coveted Pingus and Flor de Pingus) utopian wine from Ribera del Duero. Peter has sought out the best independent vineyard growers in Ribera and is incentivizing them to improve viticultural practices and shun chemicals, lower yields and practice biodynamics by paying them increasingly for the fruit as they improve. The result is a "give back" to the region wine that also expresses the "soul" of Ribera.
The unbottled sample of the 2020 PSI feels young, juicy, very fruit-driven and clean. 2020 was an unusual vintage, first of all because of COVID-19, but it was a year with lots of light, plenty of flowers and a beautiful spring. They were able to harvest quite early and finished two days before the abundant rains (except in Soria, which is a different story) that started on the 20th of September. In Ribera, there will be two different harvests: the wines before the rain and those from after. So, this is very healthy, aromatic and floral, with a spark of freshness but also ripe and round. It's going to be a crowd-pleaser. It has a bright ruby color, with some 10% Garnacha. It somehow has less Tempranillo character. - 94pts Robert Parker
Winemaker Notes
Riberas is crafted to age, developing complexity over time, yet balancing acidity and generous fruit, they’re unequivocally food-friendly wines to drink young. The spices, dark fruit and smoky flavors of Ribera enhance anything off the grill, roasted meats, and rich kinds of pasta.
About the Producer
While other Spanish wines have achieved international recognition, Pingus is one of the very few that has joined the ranks of the world’s most coveted wines. Like Coche-Dury’s Corton-Charlemagne, Guigal’s LaLa wines, or Giacomo Conterno’s Monfortino, Pingus is known and revered wherever great wine is discussed. Like those other esteemed names, Pingus has a quality that is often lacking in today’s “modern” wines—a sense of utter individuality. There is no other wine in the world today that shares Pingus’ unique signature.
