There is no greater guarantee of quality than lands that were already taken over by the Benedictine monks in their day for the cultivation of vineyards. Historically recognized as expert winemakers and pioneers in wine production, the presence of a Benedictine monastery was known to be synonymous with good land. Factors such as soil quality, sun exposure and a microclimate were fundamental elements that were taken into account for obtaining high quality grapes and that, today, have become a legacy worth preserving. Ten centuries later, Antonio Vázquez Muñoz-Calero, a young businessman with a keen eye, is undertaking an exciting project in the spot where the Benedictine monks once built the monastery of San Cobate, on the estate located in Gumiel del Mercado (Burgos) in the heart of the Ribera del Duero. A safe bet when it comes to making wines that reflect the personality of the different soils and the region's star variety, the tinta fina. From its three best plots, the winery presents to us the San Cucufate range (the name by which the monastery was known at the start of its construction). Three limited productions well worthy of enjoying for their complexity, elegance and persistence.
One of these, San Cucufate Bancales del Jalón, has the special feature of coming from an estate whose clay and limestone soils are surrounded by aromatic plants such as thyme, rosemary and lavender. Here, tempranillo vines planted in terraces in 2010 reign supreme, cultivated in the traditional way and harvested by hand at the optimum moment of ripening. In the winery, after an exhaustive selection of the best grapes, they are fermented with part of the entire bunch in concrete tanks. The wine is then slowly aged for 10 months in barrels used for different purposes and 8 months in foudres of different sizes.
The result is San Cucufate Bancales del Jalón, a wine with a rustic and powerful character that exudes all the personality of a vineyard that has maintained its own personality since its origins in the 11th century. A wine of great aromatic concentration that is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.