Robert Parker is known for his influential publication, ‘The Wine Advocate,’ and his wine rating system based on a 100-point scale. Achieving the coveted 100 Parker points is a significant achievement for a winery and, of course, enhances the wine's reputation and prestige. The Chapoutier house is one of the wineries with the most wines valued at 100 Parker Points worldwide. With a long history and a focus on producing high-quality wines, many of their wines have earned the highest marks from the great wine guru. These wines are mainly produced in the Rhone Valley, but are also produced in other French wine regions such as Roussillon and Alsace, or even outside the country, such as in Australia and Spain. One of the projects outside his native France is the one he started in 2005 in the Ribera del Duero DO, specifically in Sotillo de la Ribera, in the province of Burgos (Castilla y León). Dominio del Soto is a winery that aims to bring out the best of the terroir through the knowledge that has given the Chapoutier family such good results throughout their professional career.
An example of this work can be found in Dominio del Soto Cosecha, a single varietal tempranillo from a young vineyard located on terraces with clay-limestone soils that reach an altitude of between 850 and 900 metres. With a continental climate and a wide temperature range between day and night, the farming is exclusively organic and the grapes are harvested by hand in boxes of 20 kilograms. Then, in the cellar, vinification takes place in stainless steel tanks, with cold maceration prior to fermentation, which lasts more than 4 weeks. Finally, the wine is aged, partly in stainless steel tanks and partly in French oak barrels for 6 months.
Flavoursome, light and easy to drink, Dominio del Soto Cosecha is a red wine that aims to be tasted without artificial additions, an attractively subtle work that can only be achieved under the masterful combination of the quality terroir of Ribera del Duero and the expert hands of the Chapoutier family, one of Parker's favourites.