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Bodegas Bardos (Fuentemolinos, Burgos) is the Vintae Wine Company project in the Ribera del Duero. To settle in the denomination, Vintae sought out the area with the highest altitude, Páramo de Corcos, 10,000 hectares that live all year round under extreme temperatures and in which the highest quality DO grapes are obtained. Páramo is a flat landscape located 950 meters above sea level, between the villages of Fuentemolinos and Moradillo de Roa, an area that supports temperatures of 40 degrees in summer and -15 in winter, and where only the best vines survive to provide an exceptional grape.
But the search for the freshest vineyards in Ribera did not stop there and a few years later, Vintae continued his adventure in the easternmost part of the DO, in the province of Soria. Very close to the source of the Duero River, in the surroundings of the town of San Esteban de Gormaz, they found vineyards with all the ingredients that the project’s philosophy required: altitude (almost 1000 meters), freshness (thanks to their ferrous clay soils) and a handful of brave winegrowers willing to conserve their vines.
That’s why Bardos honors those winegrowers who could live much better in gentler areas, but prefer to maintain the legacy of several generations tending to their vineyards with their own hands.
Ribera del Duero, Spanish wine region, is located in northen Spain’s Castilla y León region, just a 2-hour drive from Madrid. While winemaking in this area goes back more than 2000 years, it was in the 1980s that 9 wineries applied for and were granted Denominación de Origen (D.O.) status. Today, more than 300 wineries call Ribera del Duero home, including some of Spain’s most iconic names.
Notable Facts Ribera’s main grape variety, Tempranillo, locally know as Tinto Fino, is perfectly suited to the extreme climate of the region, where it must survive scorching summers and frigid winters. Low yields resulting from conscientious tending to old vines planted in Ribera’s diverse soils types, give Ribera wines a distinctive depth and complexity not found in other Tempranillos. Rich and full-bodied, the spice, dark fruit and smoky flavors in a bold Ribera del Duero will pair well with roasted and grilled meats, Mexican food and tomato-based sauces.
Notoriously food-friendly, long-lasting and Spain’s most widely planted grape, Tempranillo is the star variety of red wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero. The Rioja terms Joven, Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva indicate both barrel and bottle time before release. Traditionally blended in Rioja with Garnacha, plus a bit of Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano, the Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero typically stands alone. Somm Secret—Tempranillo claims many different names depending on location. In Penedès, it is called Ull de Llebre and in Valdepeñas, goes by Cencibel. Known as Tinta Roriz in Portugal, Tempranillo plays an important role in Port wine.