Torremilanos
Ribera del Duero, Spain
- Second Oldest Wine Estate in Ribera del Duero (1903)
- First Biodynamic Certified (Demeter) Winery in the Region (2015)
- All barrels have been made at the on-site cooperage since 1988
The second oldest estate winery in Ribera del Duero, Finca Torremilanos, was established in 1903, seventy-nine years before the region gained its D.O. status. Located in Aranda de Duero, the estate is responsible for many of the oldest vines in the area, some planted near the founding of the estate over 100 years ago.
Pablo Peñalba López purchased the Torremilanos estate in 1975 along with his wife Pilar Pérez Albéniz who still manages the estate today. Along with reinvigorating their own property, the family was influential in the creation of the Ribera del Duero D.O. just seven years later. Pablo grew the estate from 60 hectares to 200 hectares and in 1988 established a cooperage on the property which has since produced every American and French oak barrel used at the winery.
In the early 2000s, Pablo and Pilar’s sons Ricardo and Vicente began taking a bigger role at the estate. Ricardo immediately began practicing more sustainable farming methods, starting with organic farming then evolving to full biodynamic principles. In 2015, Torremilanos became the first Demeter certified farm in Ribera del Duero.
The vineyards sit between 800 and 900m elevation and showcase multiple soil types, including limestone, sand, clay, and small stones (“Cantos”). The estate’s vines are mostly dedicated to Tempranillo, but Merlot, Cabernet, Tempranillo Blanco, Garnacha, Sauvignon Blanc and small amounts of Bobal, Monastrell, Viura, Albillo and Malvasia are planted too. Despite the hot and dry Continental climate, the vines are dry-farmed and all harvests are done by hand.
In the winery, only naturally occurring yeasts are utilized for fermentation in stainless steel tanks and some concrete vats. Most wines will age for six months to three years in barrels produced on-site. Sulphites are typically only used at bottling, if at all.
Wines Available from Torremilanos:
Penalba Lopez Blanco
- Varieties: 60 % Tempranillo Blanco, 15% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Chardonnay, 10% Viura.
- Vinification: Whole bunch pressed, settled for 24 hours, fermented in 225-liter barrels. The wine ferments in barrels for several months. Each variety ferments separately. At the end of winter, the final blend is composed and combined during the last months of aging.
- Aging: 11 months in barrels
- No clarification, No filtering, and no added sulfur
- Vine Age: 70+ years
Montecastrillo Tinto
- Varieties: 100% Tempranillo
- Vinification: Stainless steel fermentation, short maceration
- Aging: 4 months in French oak barrels, 20% new
- Vine Age: 25+ years vine age
Los Cantos
- Varieties: 95% Tempranillo, 5% Merlot
- Vinification: Stainless steel and Concrete fermented, primary fermentation and malolactic are completed in barrel
- Aging: 18 months in French and American oak barrels
- Vine Age: 40+ years
Ojo de Gallo
- Varieties: 50% Tempranillo, 10% (Garnacha, Cariñena and Bobal) and 40% (Albillo, Viura, Malvasía and Airén)
- Vinification: All grapes destemmed and co-fermented in stainless steel tank, where they will be stepped on once a day until the excess CO2 no longer allows us to enter. In this harvest it happened on the fifth day. On the sixth day it was emptied, pressed, and put into small tanks. After 6-12 hours, half is racked into barrels and the other half in concrete with natural yeasts.
- Aging: 7 months and 3 weeks
- No clarification, No filtering, and no added sulfur.
- Vine Age: 80+ years
Other Wines Available from Torremilanos:
Penalba Lopez Garnacha, Penalba Lopez Pinot Noir, Montecastrillo Rosado, Torremilanos Crianza, Torremilanos Reserva, Torremilanos Coleccion, Torre Albeniz (selected estate old vines), Cyclo (Three oldest vineyards), Roble Viejo Original Estate Vines)
