Ribera Del Duero, Ribera Del Duero

This region is home to two of Spain's most famous and most expensive wines - Vega Sicilia and Domaine Pingus. Map illustrations by Kian Eriksen.It's a region rich in history and steeped in winemaking culture. Located on a high plateau, roughly 800m above sea level, Ribera del Duero is one of Spain's fastest developing wine regions - mainly as a result of the success of the above two wines and others like it. The broad valley of the Duero River (which ultimately flows into Portugal, where it is known as the Douro) lies roughly halfway between the northern coast of Spain and Madrid.

About 100km long and 30km wide, the region stretches eastwards from Valladolid, with the sites on the northern bank of the Duero River considered the best. It's a region of extremes, reflected in a soil that is very varied and can change from one vineyard to another. Limestone and iron dominate, with clay closer to the river areas.
One advantage is that the soil structure is loose and is thus easily worked.

Prior to the explosion of interest in winegrowing that occurred in the area in the late '80s and early '90s, the Ribera del Duero was best known for growing cereals and sugar beets.

This broad valley had only two wine producers in the '50s, 24 when the official Denominacion Origen (DO) was proclaimed in 1982, but now boasts more than 160 producers. The DO rules allow only for the making of red wines - notably the long-lived rich reds and lighter drinking rosados. The lighter-bodied young reds are quite modest and humble and are usually consumed within a year of harvest.

Valladolid is the main city in the region and is exceptionally rich in history. The capital of Spain for a long period, it was home to one of the most advanced and richest courts in the world, at a time when Spain was charting new territories -- notably the Americas.

According to a recent article in Wine International, The Royal Archive at Simancas in Valladolid houses an amazing compendium of legislation for every aspect of the wine trade. "It confirms how seriously the subject was taken, and how professional our forebears were," says winemaker Mariano Garcia of Maurados Wines.

But Ribera del Duero wine farmers were not able to avert the phylloxera epidemic which devastated vineyards throughout the country in the late 19th century.

CLIMATE
Summers are short but intensely hot. Temperatures can be harsh with the mercury peaking at around 40°C in summer and plunging 30°C to between 6°C and 10°C at night.

Winters are long and cold with minimum temperatures well below freezing. Late autumn rains and late spring frosts are two of the many natural hazards challenging growers.

The most widely planted grape is Tempranillo, known locally as Tinto Fino or Tinto del Pais. According to DO rules, it must make up 75% of the region's red wine blends. This grape has adapted to conditions well, developing a darker and somewhat thicker skin than displayed by Tempranillo grown elsewhere. It produces rich, deep red wines that are firm and full-bodied, quite tannic and astringent, yet last incredibly well.

As a result of these extremes, yields and production are very low. The theory is that the combination of extremely hot days, cool nights and mountain air ensure the grapes retain a higher acidity and better structure than Tempranillo planted in other parts of Spain.

Vega Sicilia was for more than a century the standard bearer for Ribera del Duero wines. In 1864 Don Eloy Lecanda Chaves set up his bodega at Pago de la Vega Santa Cecilia y Carrascal. That mouthful was shortened to Vega Sicilia. Until the declaration of a Ribera del Duero DO this fabulously expensive and long-lived wine was simply a table wine, or Vino de Mesa.

The secret of its success is that it is aged in oak for longer than most other table wines. Whereas a Gran Reserve is required to spend a minimum of two years in oak and three years in bottle, Vega Sicilia is often only sold 10 years after harvest. Despite this, it remains remarkably fresh, thick and opulent - even 10 to 20 years later!

At present a huge battle is underway to preserve the landholdings of Vega Sicilia. A proposed new highway between Vallodilid and Portugal is desperately needed but will neatly cut across hundreds of hectares of Ribera del Duero vineyards, including some of the prized Vega Sicilia lands.

The shift in perception of quality came with the observation by American wine writing authority Robert Parker that the 1986 Pesquera, made by Alejandro Fernandez, was the "Pétrus of Spain". New producers flocked to the region and commitment to quality intensified.

Tempranillo remains the main grape but Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec are increasingly being planted. Officially no white wines can be made and classified DO, but whites are nevertheless being made from Sauvignon Blanc, Albillo and Verdejo.

Other top producers include Domaine Pingus and Bodegas Alejandro Fernandez.

WEBSITES

www.cellartours.com
www.reservaycata.com
www.tastings.com
www.thewinedoctor.com