BODEGAS VALDERIZ

“Bodegas Valderiz’s secret is rooted in the traditional culture of wine-making, which reveals the pleasure in the nature of terroirs and the winemakers personality, from harvest to bottle. We strive for simplicity in our methods by using organic and biodynamic techniques, thus allowing the Tinto Fino grapes themselves to reveal their virtues to us”.

Today the vineyards at Bodega y Viñedos Valderiz planted by Tomás Esteban, cover 60 hectares, added to the original 10 hectares of vineyards planted by Tomas’ father, that are carefully preserved. The family is among the pioneers of organic farming in Ribera del Duero. The complete absence of herbicides, pesticides and fertilisers is their trademark. Looking for future improvement, they are introducing biodynamic viticulture.

The typical climate is moderate to low rainfall coupled with hot dry summers (max 40 degrees C) and long hard winters (min-10 degrees C).  Added to remarkable variations in temperature in all four seasons, this should classify it as a Mediterranean climate, with over 2,400 hours of sun per annum. Importantly this interacts boldly with the fundamentally continental climate typical on this high central plateau in central Spain.

The design of the winery seeks to achieve as natural a wine-making process as possible, so the grapes are harmed as little as possible during their transformation to wine. Their evolution is gentle with prolonged chilled maceration, without being too exacting on the grapes. Natural yeasts on the grapes create a spontaneous fermentation.

Absolutely no artificial wine-making additives (acidifiers, tannins, glucose, enzymes etc) are used. Ageing is done in barrels selected from the best French coopers, using 80% French and 20% American oak. They monitor the quality of their barrels while their coopers make them, controlling the amount of firing each barrel receives. They match specific degrees of firing to the different soil types in the vineyards.