Cauro Ventum
Cauro Ventum is one of just three wines produced by Bodegas Saura, a prestigious winery in the DO of Bullas in Murcia, south of Valencia.
Their 15ha of vineyards, planted with Garnacha and Monastrall, are sited around the town of Caravaca de la Cruz; mainly small terraces embedded in the forest with loamy soils and good drainage.The Mediterranean climate is tempered by the altitude of the area, 600-900m; short but harsh winters with snow and warm summers during the day and cool at nights that positively favour grape quality. The surrounding flora and fauna species help add nutrients and also provide natural yeasts that are part of the vinification.
Grapes are grown organically on a Gobelet system (bush vine) and without irrigation. This results in small bunches with optimum acidity and moderate alcohol and flavours.
Wine making is very traditional – manual harvest, crushing 50% destemmed grapes with 50% of whole bunches. Fermentation is carried out in limestone tanks from a near-by quarry, with daily pump-overs. Maceration is 8-10 days.
After pressing, the wine goes to an oak foudre (barrel) where alcoholic fermentation ends and the malolactic fermentation takes place. After a slight clarification, bottling is done without filtering. 21,000 bottles are produced and are sealed with wax.
Bodegas Saura’s desire to respect nature is woven into the design narrative for their wine labels. Cauro Ventum features the local wildlife, flowers and grapes; an almost dreamlike illustration commissioned from artist Tatiana Proca.
A short video of the winery and locality can be viewed here.
An attractive ruby red colour. A very intriguing nose where ripe red fruit vividly stand out from notes of rosemary, balsam and pine and a hint of gaminess; on the palate it is fresh and surprising light for a high abv Garnacha – but with good structure and some light acidity adding interest on the finish.
An easy drinking and fruity wine to accompany appetisers and everyday dishes.
About the Producer
Bodegas Saura
Bodegas Saura – or Vinedos de Utopia – is based in Caravaca de la Cruz, one of eight different municipalities that make up the Bullas DOP, located in the region of Murcia. Since Roman times this area had produced bulk wine up until the 1980s, at which point private wineries began investing in the production of bottled wine. The area was granted DO status in 1994.
In 2008 the Saura family acquired an agro-forestry farm in the Sierra de las Cabras mountains. The areas diverse eco-system with an altitude range of 690-1127m had led to it being declared a “Region of Interest” for its flora and fauna and a “Site of Cultural Interest” that includes a Palaeolithic cave and Argaric (1800-1200 BC) village.
The family’s main aim was to recover the neglected vineyards around the town of Caravaca de la Cruz. This project was realised in 2015 with the birth of “Vinedos de Utopia”. They embarked on environmentally responsible traditional and ecological management, 100% organic and natural cultivation.
A unique aspect of Bodegas Saura is that its philosophy is rooted in the desire to respect nature as a means of appreciating its contribution to the production of wines. It is this tribute to nature that had to be woven into the design narrative for the wine labels.
The winery’s coat of arms features the heraldic symbol of the Saura surname, showing a dragon holding grapes emerging from a cave. It is inspired by the numerous caves found on the estate, including La Cueva Negra – an archaeological and anthropological site of great value.
Caravaca de la Cruz is a land of history, culture and wine – represented in the festivities of the Caballos del Vino and the fiestas of the Santísima Vera Cruz. This tradition is based on the legend that in the 13th century the Templars carried wine on their horses to the castle of Caravaca to save the inhabitants from drinking poisoned water.
