Bodegas Marta Maté - El Holgazán, Ribera del Duero, Spain (2020)

Deep cherry, with purple tinges. Intense aromas and flavours of red and black fruits - cherry, blackberry, raspberry - with notes of liquorice, toffee, a touch of vanilla and a slight wet cement-vibe. Medium-bodied, with big, firm tannins and a long fresh finish.

REGION	Spain > Ribera del Duero
GRAPE(S)	Tempranillo (Tinto Fino)
VINTAGE	2020
FORMAT	750ml Bottle
ABV	14%
FEATURES	Low Intervention, Organic/Biodynamic, Vegan-Friendly
SCALE	Dry

 

Made from 100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) grapes, hand-harvested from a special plot of ~25 year old vines called “El holgazán” (the layabout). The vineyard is planted at ~900 metres on clay/limestone soils.

 

The juice is kept on the skins for about 8 days, then after fermentation is complete (using indigenous yeasts) the wine is aged for ~7 months in 300L French oak barrels and then 6 months in concrete tanks.

The inspiration for the winery started in 2008, with Marta Castrillo and César Maté who had been successfully making a limited production wine (Primordium ~3000 bottles) from their vineyard, Gumiel de Mercado (25Ha).

Faced with a region that has over 302 wineries, producing over 2000 brands of wine, from mostly (85%) machine-harvested vineyards collected in bulk, Marta and César felt it was vital to differentiate themselves from this reality by pursuing three guiding principles: Prime Location, Biodiversity, and Minimal Intervention.

The vineyards are located in the northernmost reaches of the DO, at an elevation above 900m which, together with unique edaphological characteristics define the terroir, favour the health of the vines, and protect them from pests and diseases. They practice ecological viticulture, by promoting the life of microorganisms that live in the soil. The presence of animal species such as mammals, reptiles, insects and birds is encouraged by placing nests and insect hotels , and building dry stone walls. Hillsides have been reforested and non-crop areas re-planted with native plant species. By creating a balanced ecosystem, they experience a 95% reduction in the attack of pests and diseases that attack vines in conventional agriculture. 

Some vineyards are managed organically, while others follow biodynamic methods. Soil compaction is avoided (horse-drawn implements are used instead of tractors), as is the use of biocides or chemical fertilizers. While the average yield for the region is 5,400 kg/Ha (and the maximum can actually be closer to 7,000 kg/Ha), the maximum yield at Bodegas Marta Maté is 3,500 kg/Ha.