Bright cherry red color with varietal aromas of red fruits and spices. Elegant and fruity, balanced and well structured mouth. Producer Information The Dominio de Tares winery was founded in the late nineties by a group of young entrepreneurs from Galicia, Asturias, and Madrid came together in Bierzo, Spain, to craft quality wines under this denomination. These young entrepreneurs all shared the common belief that the best wines in the world come from the best terroirs of the world. These winemakers were completely convinced that their terroir within the Bierzo had all the necessary factors to make it one of the best terroirs of the world. This included its unique soil, climate, native grape varietals, and every other aspect of the terroir. After these winemakers were convinced they had selected the best terroir, they then decided to work with native grapes. For their red wine grape varietal they chose to cultivate Mencía grapes which were planted in a Goblet system and these grapevines were over 50 years-old. For their white grape varietal they chose Godello which were 20 year-old grapevines planted in trellises. These vineyards are planted along the same altitude at about 2,300 feet (700 meters) above sea level. These grapevines are planted in soils that are full of gravel and slate, with southern orientations, and these grapevines have an average yield of 4 thousand kilos per hectare. The first vintages of Dominio de Tares wines entered into the market in the year 2000. In the year 2001 this winery began the production of seven specific wines from different “pago” rated vineyards. These wines were a brilliant expression of their grapes which benefited from having grapevines with very deep roots. These grapevines are self-sufficient from subsurface nourishment. The Dominio de Tares winery in the Bierzo uses all natural methods to craft wines with a unique personality. This winery always searches for the highest quality grapes so that all of the Domino de Tares wines will be of an exceptional quality. This is realized in part from reduced fruit yields due to green pruning and the thinning of grape bunches. In order to avoid the use of herbicides these vineyards practice traditional plowing methods and only essential treatments are applied to the grapevines. All of the grapes used at this winery are cultivated with the utmost respect to the environment. The harvest process for the Mencía and Godello grapes are staggered and these grapes are only harvested after they have achieved their peak ripeness. This harvest is always realized by hand and the grapes are quickly transported to the winery in small 33 pound (15 Kg) boxes to prevent the grapes from pre-fermenting before they reach the winery. After the grapes reach the winery they are processed through selection tables before the chosen grapes receive a vinification process in vats. One unique feature of the Dominio de Tares wine making process is that the grapes are not only separated by strain but also according to the specific plots of land where they were cultivated. By this means the wines by the Dominio de Tares winery present a pure expression of their terroir. The crianza ageing process for all Domino de Tares wines is realized in underground caves with controlled temperatures and humidity. These crianza ageing processes are realized in French and American oak barrels for time periods between 4 and 18 months, depending on the specific wine.
