Bodegas Peñafiel

Located in the heart of the Golden Mile and under the watchful eye of the Castle of Peñafiel, Bodegas Peñafiel sits in one of Spain's most prestigious wine regions. The vineyards are situated in three geographical areas with different characteristics across the provinces of Valladolid and Burgos, in a radius of 20 kilometers around Peñafiel. This is the famous Ribera del Duero, where the Duero River shapes the landscape and the wines. The soils reflect high limestone content with alkaline pH levels up to 9, giving the wines their distinctive mineral character.

The winery controls approximately 50 hectares of vineyards distributed in different plots, with a large part made up of old vines, some over 100 years old. Each plot tells its own story. The altitude and climate vary across the estate, which means each farm has different optimum ripening dates and is harvested individually. It's this attention to detail that makes the difference.

One winemaker, one vision: César Arranz Hernandez has immersed himself in the world of wine and viticulture in Ribera del Duero. In 2012 he worked side by side with world-renowned oenologist Mariano García at Aalto, who was the winemaker for 25 years at Vega Sicilia. That's quite a pedigree. The quality focus sees harvesting at night, manual grape selection on tables, cold maceration prior to fermentation. The winery combines tradition with new technologies to obtain high quality wines, with the self-demand of each year to produce the best wines.

The wines are built around Tempranillo, or Tinta Fina as they call it here. The winery is renowned for its Miros de Ribera wine collection, which embodies the spirit of high-altitude vineyards. The range includes everything from fresh young wines to serious reserves. The estate wine represents the essence of their most prized vineyard: La Viña de Rafael. Even basic roble sees six months in French oak, with the Reserva getting over three years. There's also Silencio de Miros, described as spectacular, alongside Dominios de Moros and La Milla de Miros. Beyond Ribera del Duero, the winery also produces wines in Rueda and Rias Baixas.