2019 Finca Villacreces Nebro

The winery Finca Villacreces is located in a beautiful area. The winery is located right next to Duero, next to the well-known Vega Sicilia. The winery has 115 hectares of estate, of which 60 hectares are vineyards. The 60 hectares of vineyards are spread over 15 different places, all of which contribute to the quality of these delicious wines. Because the area is very sandy and the location of the vineyards is high, it is not easy to get certain grapes ripe. However, the pine trees that are more than 100 years old do cooperate for the grapes that are difficult to ripen.

The climate is extremely different, the temperature can rise to 40 degrees, but also drop to 10 degrees below zero. The nearby river; de Duero, ensures that the grapes survive the warm climate. Finca Villacreses is a very popular winery partly because of the Pruno wine which offers an unprecedented beautiful glass of wine for the money. The fact that it has been repeatedly named best value wine by the Wine Advocate naturally also helps. Other highly recommended wines are the Finca Villacres wine and the cult wine Nebro (the latter two are only made in good years).

The Finca Villacreces is an old abbey located on the “Golden Mile” along the river Duero in the designation of origin Ribera del Duero in Spain.

THE TERROIR: The total area of the estate is 115 hectares, of which 60 hectares are vineyards. This 60 hectare is spread over 15 different plots, all of which contribute to the quality of the wines in this impressive domain. The sandy soil and the high location of the vineyards do not make it easier to ripen the planted grapes tinta del païs (tempranillo), merlot and cabernet sauvignon. The more than 100 years old pine trees do contribute to a microclimate in which the grapes feel good and the harvests are of an exceptionally high level in recent years.

FROM STICK TO HARVEST: Due to the high location, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in particular have a very hard time ripening. In recent years, a lot has been invested in the vineyards: drip irrigation, the sticks are tied up higher to get more leaf and so better photosynthesis and the young plantings of the newest vineyards are already producing unprecedented quality fruit.

FROM HARVEST TO WINE: Only at optimal maturity are grapes harvested here, resulting in beautifully concentrated wines with a fine acidity. All Finca Villacreces wines undergo malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels. Depending on the wine, the aging is determined on casks. Of course, the harvest year also influences this and there is a deviation from the standard. Pruno is aged for 12 months, Reserva for 16 months and Nebro for 18 months. After bottling, the bottles remain in the cellar for a long time before being put on the market. This is shorter for the Pruno than for the other wines.