Explore extraordinary offerings from Spain’s high-altitude vineyards
Whether it’s a cosy autumnal evening in or an al fresco apéritif on those crisp, sunny days, allow Ribera del Duero to take your mediocre moments to a whole new height with various styles of wine from vineyards at some of the most extreme altitudes in Spain.
Home to Spain’s most exclusive red wines, and the Tempranillo grape (or Tinto Fino as the locals call it), Ribera del Duero’s offerings exude strength and luxury. Rich and spicy, lifted by bright acidity and red berry fruits, the reds of Ribera del Duero are big but light at the same time. Whether you’re looking for young, light and fruit forward reds to enjoy in the early autumn, or your focus is on entertaining guests this winter with elegant aged-wines that stand out for their aromatic complexity, power and balance on the palate, Ribera del Duero has exactly what you’re looking for.
But what is the secret to all the charming characteristics that make these wines stand out? It is the altitudes of between 720 and 1,000 metres above sea level on which its vineyards lie. These altitudes have given Ribera del Duero a truly unique, natural landscape. Unexpected and extreme climatic contrasts, together with years of experience and winemaking knowledge, provide the winemakers of Ribera del Duero with conditions that grow exceptional grapes that lead to wines that will spark romance at candlelit dinners, add some flair to your chilled Friday evenings or enhance that warm, festive feeling.
Thanks to the altitudes of around 900m, Ribera del Duero has a lot more to offer than just its fabulous reds. The grapes undergo a longer, more even ripening period, leading to more balanced and fresher wines, allowing the region to produce refreshing rosés with fruity aromas and characteristic nuances of wild berries and ripe fruit. Winemakers are also producing aged white wines with complex aromas and young, fresh and balanced white wines with good acidity and low or medium body that are perfect for enjoying life in true Spanish style, where socialising doesn’t wait for the weekend and you gather your friends after work for tapas on a hopefully heated terrace.
It is said that only the bravest dare to work the land in the most extreme conditions, where the cold shrinks the bones, the wind cuts the flesh and the sun burns the skin. But the result is worth it. With that said, it’s time to find out more about the whites, rosés, jóvenes and crianzas of Ribera del Duero that will elevate all your upcoming occasions in the seasons ahead.
Grupo Vinicola Marques de Vargas, S.L, Conde De San Cristobal Flamingo Rosé 2022
RRP £34.50 | Altitude: 900m
This is a rosé with a red-wine soul and is the essence of the Ribera del Duero region. Made with 100% Tinta Fina from vines that are 20 years old, the 2022 harvest is characterised by wines with a lot of colour and concentration. Flamingo Rosé is made with grapes from the highest altitude vineyards from the plot Camindo del Ropero, which displays a sandy-loam structure. Clean, expressive and very floral on the nose, on the palate it is fresh and rich with a balanced acidity and lingering finish.
Explotaciones Valduero, S.A, Valduero 2022
RRP £25.45 | Altitude: 900m
The first white wine made in Ribera del Duero, Vaduero is made from 100% Albillo with fruity aromas and notes of pineapple and grapefruit, typical of the variety. It is well balanced, with a light touch of acidity. Thanks to the anti-oxidant characteristics of Albillo grapes, it has a low level of sulphites, meaning you won’t get a headache! Enjoy with any meal served cool or at room temperature for smoked and honey aromas.
Bodegas Resalte de Peñafiel, S.A.U. Resalte 2020
RRP £21 | Altitude: 980m
A fresh, original and modern wine made from high altitude vineyards which have been selected due to their freshness, floral profile and silky tannis. Made with 100% Tempranillo grapes on selected plots of vines located at one of the highest points of the Ribera del Duero region, with an altitude of over 900 metres this wine is crisp, intense and fresh, and delivers an abundance of vibrant fruit flavours with background notes of spicy oak. Round and beautifully balanced with a deep fruit flavour through to a long-lasting finish.
Protos B. Ribera Del Duero de Peñafiel, S.L. Protos 2021
RRP £15.40 | Altitude: 880m
In spite of its short ageing (5 months in French and American barrels), the Protos Roble is an elegant red wine, smooth and full of nuances. Bright cherry colour, frank and intense on the nose, and well-structured with a sweet balanced oak and pleasant soft tannins, this wine pairs well with roasted lamb, Italian food and paella. Grown on vineyards at an altitude of 880m.
Altos de Ontañon, S.L. Rippa Dorii 2021
RRP £12.95 | Altitude: 850 – 900m
The 40th anniversary vintage of the Ribera del Duero D.O. was rated excellent by the board and Rippa Dorii is a true reflection of the harvest. An intense, violet-coloured roble that highlights its youth and liveliness, it has intense fruit aromas of ripe, dark berries with hints of liqourice and a presence of the clay soils of the Fuentecén heaths. A lively mouth-feel with a very pleasant, balanced attack. A good balance of acidiy, tannins and alcohol that is perfect for drinking now.
Bodegas Emilio Moro, S.L. Emilio Moro 2020
RRP £26.95 | Altitude: 850 – 900m
Bodegas Emilio Moro craft fresh and lifted Ribera del Duero red wines. Easy to drink, it is deep red in colour, on the nose it is serious and elegant and on the palate is has a well-structured body with ripe, silky tannins. Made from Tempranillo grapes on clay, limestone and stony soils at an altitude of between 850-900m, this is a true reflection of the region.
Bodegas Nuestro de Diaz Bayo, S.L. Diaz Bayo 2020
RRP £16.40 | Altitude: 890 – 940m
The Díaz Bayo family has been cultivating vines for four generations in the legendary village of Fuentelcesped, which is at an altitude of over 890m. Díaz Bayo’s ‘Crianza’ is made from 100% Tempranillo grapes which are handpicked during harvesting. Aged for 12 months in a mixture of French and American barrels, fruit and oak are perfectly integrated, while good levels of acidity provide freshness and elegance to the finish.
Bodegas y Viñedos de Hoz Sualdea, S.L. Bardos 2020
RRP £18.50 | Altitude: 880 – 950m
This crianza is made on one of Ribera Del Duero’s high-altitude vineyards, full of freshness and elegance. At Bodegas Bardos, the winemakers elaborate wines in an artisan fashion, aiming to have them reflect the Castillian landscape. Made with Tempranillo, or Tinta del País as the locals call it, the wine has cherry red tones and a great depth of colour. On the nose there is enormous complexity, with spicy notes and background fruit, while it has a very pleasant mouth with a finish that denotes highly complex fresh fruit and spices.
Entrecanales Domecq E Hijos. S.A. Secreto 2019
RRP £19 | Altitude: 950m
Secreto Is an immaculately made Ribera Del Duero that is elegant yet intense with a spicy quality that lifts the fragrant red-fruit flavour. Located in the so-called Golden Mile, the most prestigious area of the region, the vineyard brings together Ribera del Duero’s greatest strengths. The result? A red that is complex on the nose with notes of black and red fruit, hints of resinous oils, light spices and violets, while on the palate it is rounded, juicy and fresh with a long, fleshy, mineral finish.
