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Ribera del Duero is an official DO appellation located on the northern plateau of Spain, in the regions of Castile and León.
edit Tasting
Red wines from Ribera del Duero are mostly made of Tempranillo, sometimes labelled under the local name Tinto Fino.
Ribera del Duero produces intense, extremely long-lived wines. While they are made of the same Tempranillo grape as Rioja wines, they are distinctively more concentrated, full-bodied and fruit-driven.
A few white wines are produced with the Albillo grape, but their distribution is limited to the local market.
Ribera del Duero is home to the highly-prized Vega Sicilia, a winery founded in 1864. Its red wines are considered among the best in Spain. They are mostly made of Bordeaux-style winegrapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
edit Facts and figures
- Planted area: 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres)
- Red varietals: Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Grenache
- White varietals: Albillo
- Number of wineries: 170
edit Categories of red wines
- Young wines (no specific mention): bottled before 12 months, do not go through any ageing in barrels
- "Reserva": aged at least 36 months, including 12 months in barrels
- "Gran Reserva": aged at least 60 months, including 24 months in barrels and 36 months in bottles
edit History
Winemaking in Ribera del Duero has been around for nearly four thousand years. However, modern wine production really started in the twelth century with the help of Benedictine monks from Burgundy.
Founded in 1864, the famous Vega Sicilia winery quickly gained worldwide recognition. However, the rest of the region didn't get any attention until the 1970s, when vintners started to develop their unique twist on Tempranillo red wine, which the region is known for today. Most of the region's current 170+ wineries have been founded in the following decades.
Ribera del Duero officially became a Denominación de Origen appellation in 1982. It is set to be upgraded soon to the higher Denominación de Origen Calificada status.
edit Geography
As the name implies, Ribera del Duero vineyards lie along the banks of Duero River, over 115 km upstream from the town of Valladolid, in the regions of Castile and León. The Duero river goes on through the Portuguese wine regions of Douro and Porto before draining into the Atlantic Ocean.
The appellation is shared by the provinces of Burgos, Segovia, Soria and Valladolid.
Most of the vineyards are planted on the flat, rocky terrain around the town of Aranda de Duero.
Soils are made of silty or clayey sand, with layers of limestone, marl and chalk.
Elevation ranges between 750 and 911 meters above sea level.
edit Climate
The introduction animation on the official Ribera del Duero website sums up pretty well the complexities of its climate:
- Heavy snowstorms. Icy winds.
- Sudden storms. Unpleasant winds.
- Dry Winds. Hot, heavy conditions.
- Nature here is unique. So are our wines.
Summers are very hot (up to 40°C) and winters can be really harsh (as low as -18°C). There are also marked variations in temperature within each season. The climate is continental and Mediterranean, with more than 2,400 hours of annual sunlight.
edit Viticulture
Although red wines from Ribera del Duero are mostly made of Tempranillo, other varietals are grown to be added to the blend, such as Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
edit See also
- http://www.riberadelduero.es/ -- Official website (in Spanish and English)
- Wikipedia article about Ribera del Duero
