Origin
Grapes for Pruno are only taken from Finca Villacreces’ own vineyards, from slightly younger vines. Until recently, the estate sold this production to some of the high profile wineries in the region. Now that the vines have reached between 10 and 15 years of age, the Izadi family has begun to handpick and vinify the grapes themselves. The vineyards have a mixture of soils: sandy, gravel, shingle and quartz. The vineyards are planted with about 90% Tempranillo (mostly on the sandy vineyards, which give an attractive fleshiness to the wines) and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon (mostly on the quartz and shingle, giving more mineral complexity).
Producer
The stunning Finca Villacreces estate is located in Quintanilla de Onesimo on the ‘golden mile’, in the heart of Ribera del Duero DO. The 155 hectare property is bordered by the River Duero to the north and by the vineyards of Vega Sicilia to the west. It was purchased by Lalo Antón of Izadi in 2003 to add further scope to their wine portfolio. The vineyards are now farmed organically, with canopy management and natural treatments used instead of artificial chemicals. As expected, Tempranillo is the mainstay of the vineyards, with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon also planted.
Grape Variety
90% Tempranillo , 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Organic practises are used as much as possible and the close proximity of the river helps protect against frost. Work is currently being undertaken in the vineyards to raise the height of the canopy to obtain riper, healthier grapes.
Food Match
Works well with beef, lamb and game.
Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Alcohol Percentage
14%
Will –
I’ve always subconsciously ignored the western country of the Iberian peninsula favouring Spanish wines… however this Portuguese beauty is superb. It made both my wife and I reach for the bottle to try and photographically memorise the label immediately after the first sip…
ryanbrady1981 –
This was the best wine in the box for me, opens up even more after decanting. Rich, fruity and a smooth rounded finish. Top marks