In the world of wine, there are maps... and then there is the territory. The Ribera del Duero Denomination of Origin stands as one of the paramount benchmarks of Spanish wine, yet on its fringes, within the province of Soria, lie villages with an equally ancient winemaking tradition, where vineyards have been an integral part of the landscape for over a century.
From here arises Galia. In 2009, the French vintner Jérôme Bougnaud embarked on working with vineyards located in these border regions, identifying unique plots in various villages. In 2022, the project evolved and was renamed Galia Soriana, focusing exclusively on the vineyards of Soria, with David Calvo at the helm of viticulture and production.
The vineyard is a mosaic of small plots scattered across villages such as Piquera de San Esteban, Osma, Zayuelas, Morcuera, Quintanilla de Nuño Pedro, Recuerda, Morales, Berzosa, or Vildé. These are very old vines—many over 100 years old and some ungrafted—planted at high altitudes, in a cold climate with significant temperature fluctuations. The soils are a mix of limestone, sand, clay, and pebbles, contributing diversity and character.
Harvesting is conducted village by village, and the grapes are vinified respecting their identity. They are fully destemmed and ferment spontaneously in stainless steel tanks with native yeasts. Maceration lasts between 18 and 20 days, and production is carried out with minimal intervention.
Subsequently, the wine is aged in concrete pyramids and French oak barrels of various capacities, seeking balance and complexity without losing the vineyard's expression.
This is how Las Aldeas Galia comes to life, a wine that encapsulates the essence of these Sorian villages: century-old vines, a blend of varieties—with tinto fino as the base, accompanied by albillo mayor and other traditional grapes—and an honest way of narrating the territory.