Dominio de Atauta Ribera del Duero - 2021

75 cl

Robert Parker: 94 points

Alcohol content: 14.5% vol.

Grape varieties: 100% Tempranillo

Vinification:

Tasting note:

The 2021s are of great purity and freshness, and the eponymous 2021 Dominio de Atauta is no exception. Made from a selection of the best vineyards in the Atauta Valley, it is complex, has depth, good ripeness, 14.5 % alcohol, a pH of 3.63 and 5.05 grams of acidity. They have 25 different terroirs and this blend is complex, powerful and elegant, reflecting the conditions of the site and vintage, with added freshness. Fermentation took place in 5,000-litre oak barrels with indigenous yeasts and maturation for 13 months in French oak barrels, 15% of which were new, followed by a further four months in oak barrels to achieve better stabilisation of the wine. 2021 brought a good harvest, and 58,494 bottles and 1,260 magnums were produced. This is one of the best vintages for this cuvée. It was bottled in June 2023.

Dominio de Atauta:

The founding of Bodegas Dominio de Atauta in 1999 marked a turning point in Ribera del Duero. For the first time, a significant investment was made in the eastern part of the DO, which was considered difficult due to the altitude. The estate is located near the small village of Atauta and obtains all of its grapes from the small valley of the same name, in which around 400 plots are spread over a length of almost four kilometres. Following a change of ownership, the young oenologist Almudena Alberca has been responsible for the wines since 2010. Her aim is to make the wines more accessible. The estate is famous for its three single-vineyard wines, which are among the best ever made from Tempranillo on the Duero. Due to the severity of the climate, the wines have a clear acidity, appear very concentrated but at the same time elegant, which motivates the winemaker to be very careful with new wood.