95 Points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The bottled 2022 Flor de Pingus has purity and is open, expressive and pretty. There's probably 3% Garnacha here, and the aim is to achieve perhaps 5% with the new plantings. Garnacha in the same soils, rootstock and everything always has a lower pH than Tempranillo. Garnacha also has less tannin, so it helps to soften the tannic sensation from Tempranillo. It matured in French oak barrels, 20% of them new, because he believes the new vines benefit from the new barrels; this also allows the barrels to get ready for the next vintage of Pingus. This is clean and aromatic, with a balanced and tender palate; it's juicy and fine-boned, with very fine, elegant tannins and some grip. It's a very pretty version of Flor.
95 Points Vinous
The 2022 Flor de Pingus is made with grapes from the Burgos area of Ribera del Duero and was fermented in used barrels after an early harvest in a warm year. Floral and fruit aromas—lavender and violet, which are rare in warm vintages—open the nose, followed by a delicate touch of oak. A hint of mint and cassis underscores the nose’s elegance. Juicy, with fine tannins and a light grip, the palate offers more structure than the 2021 while maintaining notable precision. Tasted six months after bottling, the 2022 shows depth and flavor and promises long aging potential.
93 Points Wine Spectator
This sleek red offers a creamy profile of crushed mulberry and blackberry fruit, wild thyme and rosemary, violet, mineral and anise accents. It's well-cut, integrating a frame of fresh acidity and sculpted tannins, and shows fine length and focus through fragrant finish.
Winemaker Notes
The Flor de Pingus is a mosaic of different vineyards in the village of La Horra in Burgos, totaling some 35 hectares. As all these are estate vineyards, they were much better controlled than those used for PSI, and the wine shows it in a challenging vintage like this one. It has a slightly different profile from your average Ribera, with better freshness. The wine had only been in bottle for around one month, and the wine is open and expressive. There are some roasted aromas, black cherries, blackberries and plenty of spices with hints of smoke. It’s also a lighter version of Flor, and whether this will be as long-lived as other vintages, it’s still a question mark, as the extra acidity might give it a longer life than expected. In any case, give it some time in bottle to finish integrating the oak and drink over the next four-five years.
