Martin Berdugo Crianza | Ribera del Duero, Spain

A full, spicy wine: 100% Tinta del Pais (Tempranillo) aged for at least 12 months in French and American oak barrels, 30% new and 70% second use, and bottled unfiltered.

Martin Berdugo  are a modern, progressive, family company founded in 2000; their estate consists of a single 87ha vineyard of Tinta Fina (Tinto del Pais or Tempranillo) grapes located and surrounded by the Duero River; a major part of the vineyard is on alluvial beds covered with large stones.

The altitude at 800m is significantly higher than vineyards in Rioja, where the highest is at 700m. Cooler climate and more sun result in thicker skins, hence the difference in style from the same gape varietal.

The quality of the wines is influenced by a number of natural factors and, importantly, an attitude that “everything counts” They carry out meticulous spring and summer pruning: vines planted on a north-south axis have the leaves on the east facing side take off to maximise the morning sun, whereas those on the west are left to provide some shelter from the strong afternoon rays. Crucial weather predictions and micro climate observations come from ‘weather stations’ and sensors situated throughout the vineyards. Aerial mapping and satellite photography is used for terroir profiling and to help in grape selection for the harvest uses.

A devastating fire in 2013, where they lost most of their stock as well as the winery gave an opportunity to remodel the buildings, so now all wine-making is gravity fed with no pumping. The location of the cellar – surrounded by the vineyard – guarantees the reception of the manually harvested grapes in optimal conditions, where after the wine is vinified in sixteen 25,000 litre stainless steel vats and aged in 360, mainly American, oak barrels.

The whole estate has been converted to organic production – the first 11ha were certified in 2020, the rest is expected to be in 2025.