Vineyard Road Day 4: Antidoto Ribera del Duero
This remarkable wine comes to us via Vineyard Road, and it represents a new chapter in one of Spain’s most celebrated regions. While Ribera del Duero has earned its reputation over the past few decades for power, some of its greatest vineyards for drinkable, nuanced reds have remained quietly overlooked.
Antídoto is the brainchild of French winemaker Bertrand Sourdais and his partner David Hernando, who have turned their attention to the remote eastern zone of Soria. Often described as the “rooftop of Ribera,” this high-altitude landscape is defined by poor, sandy soils and a cooler climate, conditions that yield wines of remarkable elegance and restraint. Many of the vineyards here are over 50 years old, with a significant number of truly ancient ungrafted Tempranillo vines, untouched by phylloxera for over a century.
Many powerful reds from Central Spain are simply that: powerful. Here we have a clear example of what letting the land speak can do. This area of Ribera, and especially Antidoto, are a revelation. Something of a Goldilocks wine, this offers a beautiful balance of aromatics and structure, blending the finesse and fragrance more commonly associated with Rioja with the depth and backbone that Ribera lovers expect. Organic farming is the baseline, with many growers embracing biodynamic practices. In the cellar, the approach is equally thoughtful with long, gentle macerations to avoid harsh tannins, and no new oak to obscure the purity of the fruit.
In short, this is one of the most exciting values coming out of Spain today. And with each vintage, as these ancient vineyards continue to be restored and better understood, the potential only grows.
92 Points, Wine Advocate
The unbottled 2024 Antídoto is pure Tinto Fino (they used the grapes from the white vines for the rosé) that fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and matured for nine months in 600-liter French oak barrels, 25% of them new. It packs a punch at 14.7% alcohol and is juicy and full-bodied but balanced; they did a very soft vinification, and it's a more fragile vintage. It's very primary, with some toasted notes that suggest waiting a bit more. It still has grip and some tannins but feels more fine-boned. 173,000 bottles.