Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
This big red combines concentration with balance. Cocoa and loamy earth notes frame blackberry, licorice and mineral flavors that give way to a long and graceful floral finish. Complex now, with the stuffing for the long haul.
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Wine & Spirits
This is the third vintage of Clon de la Familia and may well be the best yet. It’s a blend from three parcels, one predominantly clay, another chalk, the third in stony soils. All three were planted 35 to 45 years ago to the family’s selection from their Valderramiro vineyard, where the vines date to 1924. At first, the blend seems big and burly, though the wine’s inherent elegance is apparent from the start. The flavors are meaty, with a line of red spice running through them, layering in a forest-mushroom character, and a scent of tar and roses that lasts with savory complexity. There’s nothing New World or fruity about this traditional style of Ribera: It’s a completely Spanish—or completely Castillano— wine that’s just at the beginning of its life. §
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Wine Enthusiast
A concentrated, demanding nose of bacon and black fruits announces a saturated Tinto Fino that’s linear in feel but missing layers of complexity and depth. Rich massive flavors of baked black fruits and chocolate finish with coffee, chocolate and blackened spice flavors. This is highly reflective of the hot and dry 2011 vintage; drink through 2024.
Bodegas Emilio Moro is one of the oldest leading quality producers in Ribera del Duero. The history of the family goes back 3 generations. 1st generation Emilio Moro was born in 1891 and 2nd generation Emilio Moro in 1932. Both were born in a viticulture environment surrounded by vineyards and grew up treading grapes and racking wine in their native village of Pesquera de Duero, in the province of Valladolid.
Emilio Moro taught his son, Emilio how to make wine but also to love it. Then Emilio passed along that knowledge, passion, and love for wine to the third generation. Currently the third and fourth generation together run the winery.
The vineyards were grafted with the purest clone of Tinto Fino, commonly known as Tempranillo, recovered from the oldest vineyards that the family owns, Valderramiro and Resalso. Currently the family owns more than 200 hectares. They are located between 2,400 to 3,000 feet of elevation.
The third generation lead by Javier, Rubi and Fabiola started the newest project of the family when they were looking to the area within Spain capable of producing the best white wine. They settled in Bierzo in 2016 and have been making wines there with Godello variety ever since.
“Wine is art. If you listen, it speaks to you, it tells you when it needs to rack, when to rest. It’s like a living being that needs to be understood and cared for”. D. Emilio Moro
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.
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.