High-altitude vineyards, extreme climate, diverse soils, and dedicated people produce outstanding wines in the Spanish region of Ribera del Duero. The origin protection guarantees their quality.
Climate, vines, people, and terroir – these are the four pillars on which the character of the wines from Ribera del Duero is based. The climate shapes the annual cycle. The vines, where the grapes grow. The terroir nourishes the vines. The people who produce the wine. Through the right combination of these factors, wines with soul are created, evoking emotions.
The vineyards in Ribera del Duero are located at altitudes of over 1,000 meters
CRDO Ribera del DueroThe Spanish wine region Ribera del Duero is located in the north of the Castilian Plateau, framed by mountain ranges: the Cantabrian Mountains to the north, the Iberian Mountains to the east, the Castilian Divide to the south, and the mountains of León to the west. "Ribera" translates to "bank": The river Duero, which gives the region its name, flows through the area from east to west. The landscape is characterized by gentle hills and wide valleys shaped by the Duero and its tributaries.
The vineyards here are among the highest in the Northern Hemisphere: They range from 720 to over 1,000 meters above sea level and cover more than 27,000 hectares, stretching along the river for 115 kilometers and up to 35 kilometers wide. The altitude, contrasting climate, and different soil types produce red, rosé, and white wines that are as unique as their homeland.
Whether snow, sun, rain, or wind – each season is a dance with the elements. In the Duero Valley, continental and Mediterranean climate influences meet. In the hot, dry summers, temperatures can rise above 40 °C, while in the long, harsh winters, they can drop to minus 20 °C. The area receives an average of barely 400 millimeters of rainfall per year. However, the vines have adapted.
The intense winter cold causes the vines to bud late; only the summer months are truly frost-free. Large temperature differences between day and night favor the development of high-quality grapes that ripen slowly and late. The cool nights following warm days allow them to develop intense aromas and a fresh acidity, resulting in complex, long-lasting wines.
In addition to stony soils, clay and limestone soils primarily define the terroir in Ribera del Duero
CRDO Ribera del DueroThe vineyards in Ribera del Duero are mostly relatively small – divided into almost 64,000 parcels in 118 municipalities. These are located in the provinces of Burgos, Valladolid, Soria, and Segovia, all of which belong to the autonomous community of Castilla y León. The soil structure is diverse and ensures independent, terroir-driven growth.
The soils mainly consist of muddy or clayey sand with alternating layers of limestone and calcareous deposits; chalk and clay can also be found. The fine, reddish-brown clay soil gives the wines structure and character. The dry, lean white limestone soil is rich in salts and provides elegance and complexity. The wines gain smoothness from the stony soil, which is found here in many variations.
The vineyards are managed by around 8,000 winemakers. They have a proud history, as viticulture has existed here for over 2,500 years. This is evidenced by wine remnants found during excavations in the ancient city of Pintia and a large Roman mosaic in Baños de Valdearados depicting the wine god Bacchus. The heritage in the form of terroir instills a deep respect among the people for the extraordinary natural conditions.
Thus, they combine love, care, patience, and dedication with know-how, tradition, and modern technology. Because they know: the more demanding the work, the better the result. They have consciously chosen a low yield in favor of high wine quality and achieve this goal through meticulous pruning and thinning of the vines. More than 70 percent of the grapes are harvested by hand, ensuring that only the best and healthiest grapes are processed.
Tempranillo is the main grape variety in Ribera del Duero
CRDO Ribera del DueroThe long viticulture tradition of Ribera del Duero is also reflected in the age of the vines: 28 percent of the vines are over 30 years old, just over eight percent are over 80 years, and some are even over 100 years old.
The most important grape variety in the region is Tempranillo, which is also known here as Tinto Fino or Tinta del País. It is responsible for the red wines' violet-red color, body, and aromas of dark fruits. The prescribed minimum share of Tempranillo for red wines is 75 percent. Other permitted red grape varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Garnacha Tinta. The most important white grape variety is Albillo Mayor, which produces wines with apple and peach aromas and moderate acidity. White wines must be made from at least 75 percent Albillo Mayor.
Since 1982, Ribera del Duero has been a protected designation of origin – in Spanish: Denominación de Origen Protegida, abbreviated DOP or D.O. The legal regulations for origin protection ensure the high quality of the wines and are monitored by the control board of the region. An example is the maximum grape yield of 7,000 kilograms per hectare. Today, the protected designation of origin is a high-quality brand, whose seal is carried by over 2,220 wines from more than 300 wineries.
The red wines of the D.O. range from young, fruit-driven creations to elegant drops with great aging potential, characterized by aromatic complexity, power, and balance. In addition, there are fruity-fresh rosé wines and white wines with pronounced fruit and invigorating acidity, which can develop more complex aromas through barrel aging.
With its seal and a back label with a verification number, the control board guarantees the authenticity and quality of the protected wines. There are four quality designations, each with its own back label in a specific color: Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva, and Cosecha. Each quality designation has precise requirements, for example, for the minimum aging period:
The back label of the bottle indicates the quality designation of the wine
CRDO Ribera del DueroThe quality designation Cosecha applies to wines that are either not aged in wood or only minimally (Joven) or that have aged less than a year in barrel (Joven Roble). The terms “Joven” or “Joven Roble” may appear on the front label of the bottle; on the back label, it always states Cosecha. Additionally, the designation Cosecha also applies to longer-aged wines that do not meet the strict criteria for another designation. Thus, a wine with a Cosecha back label can be at least equivalent to a Reserva or Gran Reserva.
At the end of June 2024, during the tasting “Best of Ribera del Duero,” 80 wines were blindly tasted and evaluated by a panel of experts from the German Wine and Sommelier School (DWS) in Koblenz.
In order to classify longer-aged Cosecha wines alongside comparable wines from other quality levels in the same category, the criteria for the categories were less strict than for the quality designations. Wines with the back label Crianza, Reserva, or Gran Reserva automatically fell into the category of the same name. Wines with the back label Cosecha competed in the category corresponding to their aging duration and type of aging.
