Dominio de Atauta, Ribera del Duero 2015

95p / Peñin. Dominio de Atauta was chosen by Thomas Rydberg as one of the finest wineries in the Ribera del Duero and was the test winner in the 2015 tasting (with Almendro '11). In October '14, Wine Spectator proclaimed Dominio Atauta to be among the elite of wineries in Spain. Three of Atauta's wines were in the Top 5 of the magazine's highest recommended wines from Spain. In addition, the best wines from Atauta score as high points as Pingus and Vega Sicilia in Spain's leading guide Guía Peñin in both the 2013 and 2014 editions.
Atauta is unique in that all the vines are uninoculated, pre-phylloxxera vines, as the wine lice have not reached this isolated part of the Ribera del Duero.
Other ratings for 2015, including, 94 / Tim Atkin, 92 / Robert Parker
A both charming and bouquetrig version of the domain's signature wine, pleasant already, from vines between 100 - 140 years! The structure is relatively soft and elegant with very ripe, fine-grained tannins that will give the wine a very long drinking window. A wealth of berries, lavender, rosemary, cassis, floral notes and a little toasted dish. For fried lamb, stews, risotto, paella with meat, truffle, mushrooms and ripe cheeses.
Most of the very old vines are ungrafted. The must is fermented in steel and cement tanks with natural yeast; the malolactic fermentation / malic-lactic fermentation in large wooden barrels. The wine is then aged 16 months in barriques, 40% new and 60% 2nd year casks. The wine is not clarified and filtered.
The town of Atauta is located in the Soria region in the eastern part of Ribera del Duero and has only approx. 1000 inhabitants but a long wine history. 600 years ago, the vineyards were built here directly in the limestone cliffs. In 1999, Dominio de Atauta continued the tradition with a modern wine house carved into the cliff side. From the outside it looks like a modest farmhouse, but the house has 3rd floors below it. On each floor, a step in the vinification takes place. Gravity thus replaces pumps and transports the wine to the next link in the vinification one floor down.
In the wine context, the Atauta valley is unique in that it avoided the wine lice Phylloxera, which ravaged Europe from the 1860s into the 20th century. Therefore, vines older than 150 years are found here. The isolated location and a layer of sand at the top of the soil are probably the main reasons for this. Atautadalen is only 1x4 km., Where the vineyard has 15 ha. as well as controls the cultivation, and gets grapes, from 30 ha. more. The earth is divided into approx. 500 small plots of land between 980 and 1050 m. Above sea level, with many variations in soil and sun exposure, which provides an exciting but complicated puzzle when composing the wines. Hot days and cold nights, the grapes ripen slowly, ensuring the combination of fruit depth and juiciness that complement each other so well in the wines. The cultivation methods are biodynamic and organic but not certified.
Links to small videos: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=dominio+de+atauta