Finca Villacreces, Ribera del Duero
Vintage: 2020
| Vintage | Product Code | Format | Closure | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | FV101B20 | 6 x 75 | Natural Cork | Available |
Producer
Described by Robert Parker as “the hidden jewel of Ribera del Duero”, Finca Villacreces forms part of the regions ‘golden mile’ alongside their neighbours Vega Sicilia and Pingus. Located in Quintanilla de Onésimo, this stunning estate was purchased by the Antón family of Izadi in 2003. The wines, made by winemaker Ángel Ortega together with Luis Laso, are deep, dark, and focused in style.
The vineyards of Finca Villacreces follow what is called ‘integrated viticulture’, using canopy management and natural treatments, instead of artificial chemicals. The combination of sand, gravel, shingle, and quartz soils encourage low yields of intensely flavoured grapes (around three tonnes per hectare and only two kilos per vine). The estate’s 64 hectares of vines are planted at 735 metres above sea level. 85% of the vineyards are planted with Tempranillo on sandy soils, which impart an attractive fleshiness to the wines. The remaining vines are 5% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, planted on quartz and shingle, giving more mineral complexity to the blend.
‘Pruno’ was developed with the intention of making a Ribera del Duero that could be enjoyed earlier than their flagship wine. It blends 93% Tempranillo with 6% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Merlot, aged in second and third-year French oak barrels. The Ribera del Duero is more concentrated, with excellent depth and complexity, complemented by red and black fruit notes and hints of spice. ‘Nebro’, the single-vineyard wine, is named after the 1.2-hectare site of the estate’s oldest Tempranillo vines, planted in 1917, three metres from Vega Sicilia. This wine is produced only in exceptional vintages and in very limited quantities (just five barrels).
Vineyards
The vineyards here are a mixture of soils: sandy, gravel, shingle and quartz. Each soil type contributes to different flavours in the fruit as well as to very low yields of around just three tonnes per hectare. The vineyards are planted with about 86% Tempranillo (mostly on the sandy vineyards, which give an attractive fleshiness to the wines), 4% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon (mostly on the quartz and shingle, giving more mineral complexity). Organic practices are used as much as possible and the close proximity of the river helps protect against frost. The vineyards lie at 710 metres above sea level and are planted with a density of 2,200 vines per hectare.
Vintage
The 2020 vintage started with a winter which saw both mild and extreme temperatures. This was followed by a rainy spring which resulted in early budding and healthy, weighted grape bunches. High temperatures hit in June and July that helped to ripen the grapes to optimal levels, which led to a high quality harvest, with well-structured wines.
Vinification
Fruit was handpicked into 15 kilogram crates in the second and third weeks of September. The three varieties were destemmed and fermented separately in small stainless steel tanks with 25% undergoing malolactic fermentation in new French oak barrels. The wines were then aged separately in French oak (Taransaud and Darnajou), of which 50% was new, for a period of 14 months, after which the final blend was assembled and bottled.
Tasting Notes & Technical Details
This wine is inky purple in colour with an expressive bouquet of espresso, toasted bread, graphite and wild blueberry. The palate is full-bodied, with layers of plush black fruit, woodsmoke and nutmeg, structured by fine grained tannins and juicy acidity,
Alcohol (ABV)
14%
Acidity
6.1 g/l
Residual Sugar
5.9 g/l
pH
3.6
Other wines from this producer
Producer | Wine | Product Code | Features | Style | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finca Villacreces | `Nebro` Ribera del Duero | FV102 | R | Factsheet | |
| `Pruno` Ribera del Duero | FV103 | R | Factsheet |