Now that the 2020 vintage has been on the market for several weeks, here is more about the wine that conveys the very essence of our project in the Ribera del Duero Burgalesa: NOBBIS.
Nobbis (‘Us’) is where the journey began. It is the story of a family (and friends) that is all about an attitude to life. People brought together by a shared passion for wine who set out on a journey together in midst of grapevines. Behold the dragonfly, flying hither and thither; the bird (the golden oriole), which oversees everything so it arrives at the right time and in good shape; and the earthbound beetle, who knows all there is to know about its terrain.
Fuentecén
From the start, we have been working on this wine, producing around 13,000 bottles a year. Its most distinctive feature is that it comes from just the top 5% of our best Tempranillo grapes. It is a single variety wine that comes from south-west facing vineyards with predominantly clay soils below a surface layer of sandy loam, from free-standing bush vines. These vineyards are in Fuentecén, some 830 metres above sea level, with vines that originate from our La Tejera estate (a plot of 0.65 hectares planted at the end of 1800 and which we began to rescue in 2008).
We do not use any systemic pesticides when working and tending the vines. This enables diversity and life to take root in the earth, using regenerative viticulture to ensure the soil is teeming with life.
For Nobbis we handpick the grapes, selecting the best bunches from the vineyard to enable, above all, the purest expression of the grape variety and the fruit itself.
In the winery, fermentation occurs at low temperature in stainless steel tanks, with gentle punching down to extract the noble compounds from the skins. After this, the wine is transferred to casks for malolactic fermentation. NOBBIS develops greater smoothness by spending about eleven months in used 225-litre french oak casks, with different levels of toasting, and it then rests in bottle for a minimum of six months.
We love the feeling it gives us when we smell it, and when we taste it. Its wild forest berries are to the fore, alongside floral and herbaceous touches. It reminds us of the classic Ribera del Duero vintages: highly drinkable wines that have great ageing potential.
