EXCLUSIVE TO CORNEY & BARROW IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND HONG KONG 2021 VINTAGE, EN PRIMEUR DOMINIO DE PINGUS
If this all sounds a bit fanciful, you may be pleased to hear that PSI 2021, now in its 15th vintage, sets a new benchmark for drinkability and sheer deliciousness. Since its inception in 2007, PSI has found its rhythm, with a dash of Garnacha and ageing in large oak vats.
I thought Peter Sisseck had captured the elusive essence of Pingus with his description of it as a bumblebee – a physics-defying insect that shouldn’t be able to fly but, somehow, can. He went one better this year, pronouncing the 2021 vintage “a can-can dancer with the mind of a ballerina.”
Three very different wines, made by one man with a quite unique vision. For Peter, the 2021 vintage is defined by its cool nights, which have brought a freshness and poise to these fabulous wines.
Flor de Pingus, the second wine which has become so sought-after in its own right, showcases just what is possible from biodynamics, low yields and old vines in Ribera del Duero: it is a superlative wine of the earth.
COMESMONTMARTRETOSPAIN
There’s a theme here, which perhaps offers a glimpse into the secret of Pingus. A meeting of the flamboyant and the graceful, the corpulent and the ephemeral – this is a wine that defies easy categorisation, constantly confounding expectations.
“A can-can dancer with the mind of a ballerina.”
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But then along comes Pingus itself and blows the category apart, lifting off from mere earthly things into a different realm altogether, one of air and essence. The only remotely similar wine is perhaps Soldera, which is to Brunello as chalk is to cheese.
PETER SISSECK, DESCRIBING PINGUS 2021 IN APRIL 2022
GUY SEDDON, FINE WINE BUYER September 2022
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A lifeline for Ribera del Duero’s bush vines therefore, since starting in 2007. It is now made in a separate facility, with ageing in large wooden vats.
Unlike Pingus, Peter says around 25% new oak helps to round out Flor’s tannins, whilst a dash of Garnacha (Grenache) “really freshens it up.” A proportion is fined with egg whites while the rest ages in barrel until June or July.
…standing for Peter Sisseck, the Greek character Ψ resembling a bush vine.
Over 600 parcels go into PSI, from over 20 villages. Of the total 150 hectares, the average plot size is a quarter of a hectare! The on-the-ground team here is now run by Lula (Maria Luisa) Carretero.
FLORPINGUSDEPINGUSPSI
Pingus comes from under five hectares of vines in La Horra, Ribera del Duero. There are two plots, both planted in 1929 and separated by 400 metres: San Cristobal, “the backbone of Pingus”, and Barrosso, slightly lighter in style.
Flor is an extension of the Pingus approach and has evolved into a celebrated wine in its own right. It comes from 35 hectares, dotted around the village of La Horra.
Pingus’ bush vines are a massal selection of the region’s first generation of post-phylloxera vines, planted on their original riparia rootstock. Viticulture here has been biodynamic since 2000, aided by the dry, windswept region’s low disease pressure.
THE PINGUS FAMILY
Having famously started out with ‘200% new oak’, Pingus has had no new oak since 2012. Peter points to the region’s increasing warmth, calling 2005 “the first of the global warming vintages” and “the vintage that really made me reflect on oak”.
Without PSI, many of these old bush vines would long since have been upgraded to younger models. The low yields here otherwise make no commercial sense. Only by buying grapes well above market rates can Peter persuade the growers to retain them.
2021, IN THE WORDS OF PETER SISSECK
Fermentations were very smooth and very easy. Natural yeast was abundant. Colour extraction was also very easy, meaning we could ferment at 22°C and only pump over 30% of the tank volume. All in all, maintaining freshness and avoiding over-extraction. Due to the rather high pH, the malolactic fermentation was also very fast and in late November we could start to move some of the finished wines to barrel.
on 20th September in San Cristobal, the second ‘lieu-dit’ of Pingus. The grapes were coming in at 14 potential alcohol. And we had good acidities as well. The pH was somehow higher than normal, surely because of the stress during the summer.
As has been the case since 2012, Pingus is aged in one year old barrels. For Flor de Pingus, we still use some new barrels, but not more than 20%. This year we gave all the new barrels a month at PSI to season them a bit. We have also introduced two new wooden vats (15hL) for the aging of Flor de Pingus for the moment. Over time the idea is to use them for the ageing of Pingus.
We tasted the Pingus 2021s with Peter Sisseck in April 2022. At our tasting, Peter described 2021 in Ribera del Duero as, “Dry and warm – but the nights were very cool. Ripening was almost 10 days later than in 2020. So even though it’s a sunny year, we managed to avoid the ‘année solaire’ character. We did everything to shade the grapes. For picking, we were the first to start and the first to finish.”
Mildew was an ever-present factor but with big attention to detail, never manifested itself. Even though the days were hot, the nights were unusually cold, leading to a lower than usual average temperature. Ripening was 7-10 days behind Harvest2020.started
2021 in Ribera has turned out rather brilliantly after some fears of having an overly warm and dry growing season.
At PSI we have a new team, with operations led by Lula (Maria Luisa) Carretero. She is working with so much precision it is a real joy, her hand and knowledge can easily be felt in the resulting wine. Harvest started on 22nd September in Penaranda and took 12 days. It was the biggest harvest yet.
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The winter and spring of 2021 was dry to very dry. By April, we started to get some rains and there were fears that it was too little and too late. A rather cool spring didn’t help as growth was slow. Flowering happened earlier than expected and dragged on, leading to irregularity in the fruit set. A big job of cleaning was expected.
“We were the first to start and the first to finish.”
PETER SISSECK, APRIL 2022
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Tasting Guide
FLOR DE PINGUS
Recommended drinking from 2023 – 2029
Wines are judged, in a very broad sense, against their peers. Why? Well, you cannot easily compare a Ford with an Aston Martin, other than they are both cars and have wheels. It is not that different with wine. A score is a summary only. The devil is in the detail, so please focus on the tasting notes and, as always, speak to our sales team.
Pingus will be allocated – please may we have orders by Friday 23rd September
Corney & Barrow Score 19
Our tasting notes provide full details but, at your request, we have also introduced a clear and simple marking system. We hope these guidelines assist you in your selection. For the benefit of simplicity, wines are scored out of 20. We will often use a range of scores (e.g. 16.5 to 17) to indicate the potential to achieve a higher mark. When a ‘+’ is shown it adds further to that potential. Wines from lesser vintages will, inevitably, show a lower overall score.
Corney & Barrow Score 18
£240/Case of 12 bottles, in bond UK £135/Case of 3 magnums, in bond UK
90% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), 10% Garnacha. PSI comes from a patchwork of small old-vine parcels throughout Ribera del Duero, which are over 50 years old on average. Deep ruby in colour. Crunchy, supple raspberry fruit, with juicy acidity and a stony-mineral focus to the finish, which lends a granular definition. This will be bottled in spring 2023. Around 350,000 bottles have been made, which is now the full capacity of the facility. Fermented at 23˚C, then aged in large oak vats. Just under 14% abv.
Corney & Barrow Score 17.5 - 18
£650/Case of 12 bottles, in bond UK £335/Case of 3 magnums, in bond UK
TASTING NOTES
100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo). Pingus comes from just over four hectares of bush vines, planted in 1929, in La Horra. Deep ruby-purple colour. Crunchy red berry aromas, pure and bright. The palate seems to lift off into the air, breaking free of its earthly shackles. The tannins are substantial but so finely rendered, offset by velvety violet and raspberry fruit. The overall sensation is one of weightlessness. 2021 is a Pingus of, in Peter Sisseck’s words, “aromatic purity and texture” No new oak. Some 8,000 bottles will be filled, around June 2023. 13.9% abv.
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Recommended drinking from 2026 – 2036
PINGUS
PSI
Recommended drinking from 2029 – 2045
Almost entirely Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), with a dash of some 4% Garnacha. Flor de Pingus is made from 35 hectares of vines, dotted around the village of La Horra. Blueberry, raspberry and redcurrant aromas. The palate is supple and decadent, wonderfully pure-fruited, cushioned and welcoming. The red berry fruit ripeness and fullness of aroma meets an acid precision and crunch. 20% new oak. The small proportion of Garnacha was co-fermented with the Tinto Fino. 25% new oak. Approximately 100,000 bottles will be produced, with bottling around June 2023. 14% abv.
£1,750/Case of 3 bottles, in bond UK £1,170/Case of 1 magnum, in bond UK £2,380/Case of 1 double magnum, in bond UK
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