PSI

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Jun /2024

2022 -

"The 2022 PSI is clean, expressive and open, much more approachable than the more reductive 2021 that I tasted next to it. It's primary, fruit-driven and precise. "The fruit selection was better in 2022," explained Sisseck. It has contained ripeness and a polished texture and is sleek and elegant, with fine tannins. It feels like a step up from 2021. This was also the final blend waiting to be bottled—clarified, sulfur added and everything, so pretty much the wine that is going to be bottled."

Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Sep/2023

2021 -

#7 Top 100 Wines of 2024. "This is an incomparable value in the world of Spanish wine from an uncompromising producer. An absolute must-have.” - Joaquín Hidalgo

"The 2021 PSI is 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha sourced from old vines planted in calcareous soils and was aged for up to 16 months in mostly sizeable French oak barrels. In the glass, it's garnet-red with a light purple sheen. The nose offers blood notes along with sour cherry and blackberry, intertwined with violets and dried flowers, resulting in a layered, complex profile. On the palate, it's dry and velvety. Chalky tannins define a compact mouthfeel and long-lasting fruit and floral flavors. The 2021 is a distinctive Ribera del Duero with excellent nuance and agility." - Joaquín Hidalgo

James Suckling, Aug/2023

2021 -

"Black cherries, asphalt, hedgerow, dark spices and dried Mediterranean herbs. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate with dusty, effusive tannins and a vertical finish. Pristine and stripped-down. Drink or hold."

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, Jan/2023

2021 -

"A new era starts in 2021, when they got a new winemaker for PSI. The 2021 PSI—still unbottled, as it should have an élevage of 20 months—comes from a cooler year than 2020, but it was also a drier vintage and the wine has more finesse than in 2020. It develops a note of honey, beeswax and pollen... 2021 is an approachable vintage, and the wine feels very elegant...I tasted a sample from 80% oak vat and 20% in barrel, with some new barrels. This is going in the right direction..."

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Jun/2022

2021 -

"The only wine that is not certified organic is the 2021 PSI, because they purchase grapes from growers and not all of them are organic, even if more and more are following the guidelines. The oak vats are older, so the influence from the oak is subtler. The wine has gained in precision also (he has a new winemaker), and all the vines are old. It's juicy and young, with a lively palate. It contains some 10% Garnacha, of which 3% comes from the new plantings (and of course the varieties intermixed in the old vines); this adds to the freshness and contains the pH to 3.8. The wine has a little less than 14% alcohol. There are some dusty tannins, but this vintage feels less rustic than the wines from yesteryear. There will be around 345,000 bottles of this."

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Jun /2024

2021 -

"The bottled 2021 PSI is a bit reticent and closed, the most backward of the 2021s—it's even a bit reductive. This has some 8% Garnacha In 2021, he decided to start buying some of the vineyards; until then, he bought the grapes from these old vineyards, but most of the growers who work these vineyards are also old and some cannot work anymore. So, the solution is to buy their vineyards, which represents an administrative problem too, as the ownership and legal aspects of these vines is sometimes not clear. He now has 50 hectares, with the idea to own 100 hectares of the 200 they use for the wine. That also represents a change, as they need more people to work the vineyards, tractor drivers and so on. "Which is a lot of work," he told me, "but very good fun." The wine takes time to open up; the nose is hard to read, but the palate is much better. It has a medium to full-bodied palate and tannins that are a lot more elegant and polished, more sophisticated and precise than in the initial vintages, and it has gained in seriousness. Some 349,000 bottles and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in July 2023."

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, Jan/2023

2020 -

"...2020 was a warm year, but with the high content of limestone in the soils, the wine has kept very good freshness. They harvested early, before the rain, and they also used some 5% to 10% Garnacha...The bottled wine has all that the sample promised—clean and healthy aromas, floral and elegant, aromatic and with good freshness. The palate is medium-bodied, with elegant tannins, pleasant and easy to drink. 350,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2022."

James Suckling, Aug/2023

2020 -

"The Mediterranean identity immediately comes to the fore with garrigues, sage, thyme and black cherries. Juicy and fresh on the palate with excellent fluidity to the middle with a medium to full body and a long, spicy finish. Drink now."

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Oct/2021

2020 -

"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. Volumes are similar to 2019, with around 350,000 bottles that they expect to bottle around June 2022."

James Suckling, Dec/2022

2020 -

"Dried lemon rind and blueberries with sliced mushrooms on the nose. Bark too. Medium to full-bodied with firm tannins that are rather minerally and salty in nature. Crushed stone and powerful in the texture. A little rustic but real. Old vine character. Drink or hold."

Wine Spectator, May/2023

2020 -

"Plum sauce and pureed blackberry flavors are an enticing entry to this harmonious red, whose fruit profile and accents of black tea, iron and spice are layered with creamy yet sculpted tannins that firm the lasting finish. Drink now through 2028."

James Suckling, Sep/2021

2019 -

Top 100 Wines of Spain 2021. "Blackberry and black-cherry aromas with lavender, cedar and hints of cloves and white pepper, following through to a medium body with ultra-fine tannins and a beautiful, creamy finish. A little tight and reserved now. Another impressive PSI. Give it until 2022."

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Oct/2021

2019 -

"The 2019 PSI combines their knowledge of the vineyards and their new winery. They learned a lot in 2018, a more heterogeneous vintage, and their sorting machine for grapes had to work a lot. 2019 was more homogeneous, an easier harvest when most people made better wine. In the winery, they invested in a simple building but top technology. They used some 10% Garnacha in the blend, which was done one year after aging the lots separately. It really reminds me of the young wines from Ribera del Duero from the early 1990s, with some aromas of orange peel, earthy and smoky (very mild) and with fine-grained tannins. It has good ripeness at 14% alcohol and integrated acidity but great balance. It showcases the style of the 2019s here, fresher than expected and still a sunny vintage, when 2018 was more crystalline. A triumph over the natural conditions of the year. They finally bottled the expected 345,000 bottles. It was bottled in July 2021."

James Suckling, Jun/2021

2018 -

"A rich red with chocolate, ripe fruit, walnuts and spice. Full-bodied and round with ripe tannins and a flavorful finish. Plenty of ripe fruit at the intense finish and lots of old-vine character with bark and wet-earth undertones. Real deal. Drink or hold."

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, Jun/2021

2018 -

"I had already tasted the unbottled 2018 PSI, which saw a jump in quality after they got a new winery where they had much better working conditions. This wine is produced with purchased grapes from 200 hectares in around 750 plots and 20 different villages throughout Ribera del Duero (they now rent and work 50 hectares of these vineyards themselves). In 2018, they were able to use some 12% Garnacha and 2% other grapes, including whites that are found intermixed with the Tinta del País/Tempranillo in the old vineyards. Garnacha adds freshness, and the wine shows it—the character of the grape comes through in the blend. It fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured mostly in 5,000-liter and 10,000-liter oak vats, but 20% of the volume aged in used French barriques for 18 months. The color is quite light (relatively speaking), bright and lively, the nose perfumed, floral and elegant, like no PSI before. The palate is medium-bodied, with fine tannins, and it feels terribly balanced and beautifully textured. It's elegant more than powerful but full of energy. This is without a doubt the finest PSI to date. Viva Garnacha! 360,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in June 2020."

Antonio Galloni's Vinous, Jan/2021

2018 -

"Inky ruby. Highly perfumed cherry and dark berry scents are complemented by a suave floral nuance, and a spicy element adds lift. Silky, sharply focused and seamless on the palate, offering intense black and blue fruit flavors that deepen steadily as the wine opens up. Lush yet energetic in style, with solid closing thrust and supple tannins building slowly and adding gentle grip to the floral-driven finish."

Decanter, Mar/2021

2018 -

"Using organic and biodynamic viticultural practices, Psi offers a gutsy, expressive and value-driven voice to the Ribera del Duero region. This firm, focused, full-bodied red opens with solid depth of ripe black cherry fruit and enticing floral notes, supple tannins and a savoury finish."

James Suckling, Jan/2021

2017 -

"A rich red with chocolate, ripe fruit, walnuts and spice. Full-bodied and round with ripe tannins and a flavorful finish. Plenty of ripe fruit at the intense finish and lots of old-vine character with bark and wet-earth undertones. Real deal. Drink or hold." 

James Suckling, Jan/2022

2017 -

"Gorgeous black cherries, blackberries and black truffles on the nose, following through to a medium to full body with fine tannins and lovely, balanced fruit and hints of stone and tile. So fresh and delicious now."

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, Dec/2019

2017 -

"The 2017 PSI shows a much more challenging year after the ideal 2016. They suffered from terrible frost, and the wine was only possible because of the old vines they work and their knowledge; they didn't have to be very ambitious and aimed for the best they could achieve. This wine was 100% produced in the new winery designed specifically for this wine, and they could do a sorting of the grapes from some 700 plots. Because of the frost, there is hardly any Garnacha, so it's almost pure Tempranillo. The wine is not as focused and precise as 2016, and it's also riper and a little more advance. It was a sunny and dry year after all, which, with the low yields, concentrated the wines. It's a good effort for the challenging year but not at the level of other vintages. 300,000 bottles produced."

James Suckling, Jul/2019

2016 -

"The brightness and freshness to this are very enlightening. It’s mostly old-vine tempranillo with about 10% of garnacha. Medium body. Tight and linear with fine tannins. Firm and racy. Lots of bright cherries and berries. Always an excellent red with real character. Drink or hold."

Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, Aug/2018

2016 -

"I tasted the 2015 in bottle and the 2016 PSI a few weeks before bottling, so I tasted the final blend in tank and ready to go into bottle. What came to mind when I smelled this sample was some of the old vintages of Pesquera. All the grapes come from the north and east of Aranda del Duero, from the cooler part of the appellation. The logistics of doing this volume is not easy, and in 2016 they were able to ferment 100% of the volume in their own winery, which gave them more control. The year was naturally fresher, mostly through higher yields, and they also managed the harvest date with more precision. All this translates into a fresher wine with more precision and elegance. They expect to reach 300,000 bottles of this 2016, which is also probably the finest vintage of PSI—finer, longer and sharply focused. According to Sisseck, this is the PSI he always dreamed about. It will be bottled in the summer of 2018."

James Suckling, Jan/2018

2015 -

#67 Top 100 Spanish Wines of 2017  "This is a fragrant and gritty Pingus with a ton of tannins which give it a lot of depth and length. This wine deserves some patience. It needs two or three years more of bottle age to be at its best, but should keep for some years following."

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, Aug/2018

2015 -

"The entry-level wine here is the 2015 PSI, their regional Tempranillo cuvee with approximately 5% to 10% Garnacha. It fermented in stainless steel and matured mostly in 5,000-liter oak foudres and 10,000-liter oak vats plus some of it in used barrels. Looking back, Peter Sisseck told me he would have liked to harvest the grapes one week earlier. It's a solid PSI that's clean and a little ripe and might give some notes of black olive that give it a little bit of a Rhone twist. 250,000 bottles produced. Sisseck sees this as an improved version of the 2011. It was bottled in the summer of 2017."

James Suckling, Dec/2016

2014 -

"Fresh and classy nose of cherries, currants and raspberries with hints of pepper. Full body, beautiful and fine-grained tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Delivers the Pingus magic! Drink now or hold."

Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate, Feb/2017

2014 -

"The 2014  PSI is  a blend of Tempranillo with 10% Garnacha and perhaps 1% of other grapes found interplanted with the other varieties in the old vineyards, mostly white Albillo. The idea here is to protect the old vineyards that are disappearing from Ribera del Duero and provide some added value to the grapes coming from them. They have identified a grand total of only 56 hectares of Garnacha in Ribera del Duero, and they have rented 20 of those to save them, because they were set to be uprooted. It has great freshness and energy, with an herbal/leafy touch in the nose that also adds complexity. It's a wine that seems to improve from vintage to vintage, and I believe the jump will be noticeable when they produce it in their own winery from the 2015 vintage onward. The Garnacha always has a lower pH than the Tempranillo, and helps to provide an extra spark of freshness. This is an approachable Ribera, but keeping the character of yesteryear. This is really what Ribera del Duero used to be: all old vineyards and no new oak whatsoever. Kudos to that! 210,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in July 2016. From 2013, there will also be a Gran Reserva-style of  PSI, with long aging (three+ years), of which a ruby-colored barrel sample really transported me to the great wines of yesteryear. I cannot wait to drink the bottled version soon!"

James Suckling Jul/2015

2013 -

"A wine with clarity and freshness. Medium to full body, fine tannins and a clean and long finish. Very balanced and delicate. Crisp yet fruity. Nice austerity. Almost all old vines of 50 years or more. From the owner of Pingus. Aged in 10,000 liters casks. Tinto and 12% garnacha."

Gismondi on Wine, Sept/2017

2013 -

"Having successfully created Dominio de Pingus in Valladolid, Peter Sisseck enjoyed worldwide fame along with its two main wines: Pingus and its second wine, Flor de Pingus. Psi Pingus is described as Sisseck's give back wine. Named after the 23rd letter of the Greek alphabet it has come from working with farmers to upgrade their vineyards so they can achieve better financial gain. The project began in 2006, and after years of work a select group of farmers have turned their old vine tempranillo plots around using biodynamic and organic farming practices. The wine is made by Sisseck and Pablo Rubio in large concrete vats before it is aged in wooden tanks and oak barrels. Quietly enticing with floral red fruit, licorice and spice, all quietly contained. Its main attraction is the silky, deftly light temperate tannins that carry the quiet savoury anise and cassis flavours. Elegance and minerality; it’s my favourite combination.”

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, Oct/2015

2013 -

"2013 was not an easy vintage in Ribera del Duero; it was a cold growing season and they had to work a lot to control the large amount of vineyards used for the production of the 2013 PSI. They had to do a lot of sorting, and do a gentle vinification and elevage in oak. The percentage of Garnacha has grown to around 10%, while the rest is, of course, Tempranillo. The wine has a fruit-driven profile, fresh and clean, developing some notes of flowers and red berries. When the year could have been something like 1993, 1997 or 2002, the last problematic vintages in Ribera, this 2013 resulted much better than any of those. It might have been a little reduced at first, but once it's in contact with air for some time, it opens up (so decanting the wine in advance might be a good idea), and is more approachable than the previous vintage. This could be a lighter year that drinks quite well and was a real triumph over nature."

Antonio Galloni’s Vinous, Dec/2015

2013 -

"Vivid purple. High-pitched cherry, black raspberry and floral scents pick up floral and mineral character with air. Suave, densely packed red fruit preserve and violet pastille flavors are braced by juicy acidity and show an appealingly light touch. Distinctly lively given its heft and showing zero rough edges. Fine-grained tannins come in late and provides shape and definition to a long, focused, floral-dominated finish."

Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate, Aug/2014

2012 -

"Let's start with the 2012 PSI, from an extremely dry vintage, produced with Tempranillo grapes with 5% Garnacha (a percentage that will be increased in the forthcoming vintages) that fermented in cement vats and aged for 18 months in a combination of used French barriques, oak foudres and cement vats. 150,000 bottles were produced. It was bottled in May 2014 and it feels closed and inaccessible, a bit stubborn or perhaps suffering from the recent bottling. It takes a long time to open up, finally revealing a core of sweet red fruit and notes of flowers, perfectly integrated oak. The palate is medium-bodied, delicious, more in line with the 2010s than with 2011s, sleek and pure, very balanced. It feels like a cool vintage, but it was not. A real triumph. Drink 2014-2017."