Original: $215.56
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$75.45The Story
It’s 9am on a May morning in Spain. There’s a biting wind, and we’re quickly getting chilled to the bone, reminisces James Tanner. The sun is bright and we are looking out over a vast landscape of rolling downland. It’s deceiving, because here in the highest part of Ribera del Duero, we’re only 20 metres lower than the top of Scafell Pike. We’re here to see Dominio Basconcillos, and Jairo, (the owner’s son-in-law), Ana (sales), and Ángel (the winemaker) have brought us to this viewpoint to survey their vines. They explain that when the ripening of grapes lower down the Duero Valley (where most of the ‘big’ names are) is blocked by torrid heat, the Tinto Fino grapes up here continue their slow, flavour-developing maturation. Back in the winery, the wines show beautifully precise fruit. Down the road is Abadía de Acón, which is the sort of supplier we like. Firmly in family hands, José Carrasco makes the wines, and his brother Carlos grows the grapes. Only a smidgen lower in altitude, their vines grow at between 800 and 900 metres. In the bodega, we wander through barrels to the sound of Gregorian chants and José – faintly embarrassed – explains that their father always played music to the wines, and he doesn’t like to stop! Music or not, their wines are just lovely.
Description
It’s 9am on a May morning in Spain. There’s a biting wind, and we’re quickly getting chilled to the bone, reminisces James Tanner. The sun is bright and we are looking out over a vast landscape of rolling downland. It’s deceiving, because here in the highest part of Ribera del Duero, we’re only 20 metres lower than the top of Scafell Pike. We’re here to see Dominio Basconcillos, and Jairo, (the owner’s son-in-law), Ana (sales), and Ángel (the winemaker) have brought us to this viewpoint to survey their vines. They explain that when the ripening of grapes lower down the Duero Valley (where most of the ‘big’ names are) is blocked by torrid heat, the Tinto Fino grapes up here continue their slow, flavour-developing maturation. Back in the winery, the wines show beautifully precise fruit. Down the road is Abadía de Acón, which is the sort of supplier we like. Firmly in family hands, José Carrasco makes the wines, and his brother Carlos grows the grapes. Only a smidgen lower in altitude, their vines grow at between 800 and 900 metres. In the bodega, we wander through barrels to the sound of Gregorian chants and José – faintly embarrassed – explains that their father always played music to the wines, and he doesn’t like to stop! Music or not, their wines are just lovely.
