2018 Tinto Pesquera "Janus" Gran Reserva Ribera del Duero

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A near-perfect 99-point Gran Reserva from Spain's most iconic Tempranillo producer — made only in exceptional vintages.

2018 Tinto Pesquera Janus Gran Reserva Ribera del Duero red wine bottle, premium aged Tempranillo from Spain with elegant white label and classic presentation

2018 Tinto Pesquera "Janus" Gran Reserva Ribera del Duero

Name: 2018 Tinto Pesquera "Janus" Gran Reserva Ribera del Duero
Brand: Tinto Pesquera
SKU: TPJAN18
Price: 289.99 USD
Availability: OutOfStock

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A near-perfect 99-point Gran Reserva from Spain's most iconic Tempranillo producer — made only in exceptional vintages.

Retail $350

$289.99

/ bottle

You save $60.01

"Complete Wine and Rare" ~99 Jeb Dunnuck
Highest-Scored Janus Ever Produced
"The Pétrus of Spain." Robert Parker on the 1982 Janus
"Silky and Harmonious" ~96 Wine Spectator
Made Only in Exceptional Vintages
Next Release May Never Come
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2018 Tinto Pesquera "Janus" Gran Reserva Ribera del Duero

$350

$289.99

/ bottle

You save $60.01

About The Wine

Since 1982, this wine has been produced roughly ten times in over four decades. The previous release was the 2009. That's a nine-year gap. Before that, the 2003 came after an eight-year wait. Robert Parker once called the original 1982 Janus "the Pétrus of Spain." The wine has carried that weight ever since.

In 1972, a beet-harvester salesman borrowed money from his own company to buy vineyards in a village nobody in the wine world had heard of. There was no appellation. No infrastructure. No reason to believe it would work — except that Alejandro Fernández knew his land could produce something extraordinary. Pesquera became the wine that forced the world to pay attention to Ribera del Duero, and Janus became its masterpiece.

First produced in 1992 — the year the bodega transitioned from its original winemaking site to the facility still in use today — Janus is only made when the vintage demands it. There's no production schedule, no promise of another release. The 2018 is one of a tiny number of Janus bottlings in over three decades, sourced entirely from La Rendeja, a single vineyard of white limestone soils at 800+ meters elevation.

The name comes from the Roman god of two faces: one honoring tradition, the other reaching forward. After 28 months in American oak, the 2018 is everything the name suggests — powerful and refined, rustic and elegant, immediate and built for decades. Jeb Dunnuck gave it 99 points. It's not hard to understand why.

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At A Glance

Varietal:: Tempranillo
Region:: Ribera del Duero
Sub-Appellation:: Ribera del Duero
Alcohol:: 14.5%
Size:: 750ml

TASTING NOTES

What's in the Glass

PAIRS WITH: Lamb · Meat

Mouthfeel & Acidity

Light Body Full Body

Low Acidity High Acidity

Soft Tannins Firm Tannins

Dry Sweet

100% Tempranillo. The 2018 Janus carries the essential imprint of American oak — refined rather than heavy — over a deeply concentrated core of black fruit. On the nose, expect bold spice, hazelnuts, pine cones, and vanilla layered over fresh blackberry and a streak of tar. The palate is full-bodied and richly structured, with powerful but fine-grained tannins supporting flavors of black licorice, leather, cured tobacco, and dark berry fruit. There's a lively streak of orange peel acidity and a tang of balsamic that keeps everything in motion. The finish is long, creamy, and velvety, with echoes of white pepper, paprika, and sage. This is not a subtle wine — it's generous and exuberant — but the structure underneath is serious and built for decades.

CRITIC REVIEWS

What the Critics Said

The producer's top wine, first made in 1992 (the year it changed its methods of winemaking from its old original site to a new winery still in existence today), the 2018 Janus is not made every year. It's an homage to the classic wines of the region and to the winery itself, named for a Roman/Greek god, one looking to the past and one to the future. From one vineyard site called La Rendeja littered in white limestone soils, it is extremely refined and highly structured, with an essential imprint of American oak. Powerful tannins with a touch of rusticity support a full-bodied core of black licorice and vanilla that lead to a smooth, velvety finish. Aged 28 months in barrel, it should hold its grace another 30-40 years. It's a complete wine and rare, with no certainty around when another Janus might be produced. ~99 Jeb Dunnuck
A classy red, with a richly savory nose, playing aromas and flavors of leather, cured tobacco and smoke off a pure beam of pureed blackberry and cassis fruit. Lively with orange peel acidity and a tang of balsamico, this is silky and harmonious throughout, integrating tannins that have a limber, muscular feel. Long and creamy on the finish, echoing accents of white pepper, paprika, iron and sage. Drink now through 2040. 50 cases imported. ~96 Wine Spectator
Don't be put off by the full swing of oak overlay here, showing plenty of hazelnuts, pine cones, sweet spices and vanilla characters. There is also a streak of minerality alongside the deep and fresh blackberries with a hint of tar. Tons of dusty tannins on the full-bodied palate with juicy berries, before an extremely long and creamy finish with vanilla, blueberries and orange peel at the end. Not a subtle wine, but it flatters with its exuberance and it has a lot to offer. Drink from 2025. ~95 James Suckling
A violet-tinged and BBQ-driven nose opens into a succulent yet finely chiseled palate. There's plenty to admire here–from the savory aromatics to the velvety texture–while the fruit is forward yet layered with depth. Surely this will continue to drink well, but it's already delicious today. ~94 Wine Enthusiast