DOMINIO DE ATAUTA AGE-LONG VITICULTURAL TRADITION At almost 3,300 feet above sea level in the region of Soria you will find the uniquely isolated valley of Atauta which is considered by many to be an ethnographic jewel from a viticulturalist s perspective. In this valley you will find pre-phylloxeric vineyards of a unique ancestral clone of the Tinto Fino grape variety that have been preserved through the centuries. The Dominio de Atauta winery was created more than a decade ago with the goal of producing wines that faithfully reflected the uniqueness of these ancestral vineyards. The winery itself is built on live rock and goes four elevations down the side of the Atauta valley so as to allow us to harness the power of gravity during the careful production process of these handcrafted wines and thus avoid any damage being done to our high quality grapes. The years of experience and hard work in this area have helped us to get to intricately know the singular characteristics of each of our more than 400 microplot vineyards. Each plot is managed individually maintaining a maximum respect of its unique essence and characteristics. The great altitude of the valley of Atauta is stamped on the personality of its vineyards. Here, the wind blows constantly from west to east and by doing so aerates and cleans the grape bunches. It hardly rains in this region apart from the occasional summer storm, and it is very cold in the winter. We are passionate about our vineyards and the perfectly mature grapes of exceptional aromatic complexity that it gives us year after year. At Dominio de Atauta we have a hands-off winemaking philosophy as we believe that great wines are born in the vineyard.
THE ATAUTA VALLEY. AN ETHNOGRAPHIC JEWEL FROM A VITICULTURALIST S PERSPECTIVE. The Atauta Valley is located at the very beginning of the Ribera del Duero appellation and only 50 km. away from the birthplace of the Duero river in the province of Soria at 1.000 meters above the sea level. The village of Atauta is to be found on moorland by the Duero River at about 4 km distance from San Esteban de Gormaz. This valley is highly eroded and has a highly diverse variety of soil profiles especially when taking into account its relatively small dimension (4 km long by 1 km wide). Depending on whether the area is in the valley, highland or slopes the soils are very diverse not only in composition but also in the depth that they allow the roots to go down to. However, all the soil profiles have a common characteristic which is that they all have a calcareous bedrock that lends minerality to our grapes and acts as a barrier to the roots of the vines. The altitude of the valley is one of the most characteristic influences as it conditions our grapes to mature more slowly in a more harmonious and
balanced manner. Another key element in this valley is the wind that blows constantly in an easterly direction aerating our bunches and foliage and therefore helping us to avoid any funguses from affecting our vines. The orography of the Atauta Valley together with the climatic conditions of the area (low rainfall and average temperatures along with high thermic oscillations between night and day during the summer) make the ideal environment for cultivating vineyards and for having perfectly mature grapes with complex tannins and aromas. Over 500 Years of Viticultural Heritage. It is because of these ideal conditions that vines have been cultivated in the Atauta Valley for more than five centuries. In spite of the abandonment that this region has undergone during the last decades one can still clearly see the traces of a rich winemaking heritage especially in the Atauta Valley where one can spot an ancient neighborhood of underground wine cellars that have been excavated down to five meters directly into the limestone sand. These cellars that are located in a gentle slope in the valley are more than 500 years old and some are still in use to this day. The more than one hundred underground wineries and cellars of this valley are living proof of the viticultural importance that Atauta has always had in this region. It is interesting to note that Atauta is the valley where the highest number of underground wine cellars can be found in the whole of the Ribera del Duero. Beside these ancient cellars a unique patrimony of very old vineyards (many pre-phylloxeric) has been carefully conserved from generation to generation to this day.
CLIMATE. SCARCE RAINFALL AND AN AMPLE THERMIC VARIATION This area has a continental climate with a Mediterranean influence that is characterised by very long and rigorous winters and by short and hot summers. The average yearly rainfall is below 430 mm and it mainly occurs in Autumn and Spring. Winter temperatures can reach -15ºC and during the maturation period there is a very wide thermal oscillation with daytime temperatures reaching 28ºC and nighttime temperatures plummeting to 4ºC. This temperature variation is key for achieving a good phenolic maturity of our grapes.
SOILS. A MULTITUDE OF PROFILES, EXPOSURES AND ORIENTATIONS. The determining factor in the character of each of our wines is the diversity of our soils. In the Atauta valley there are a myriad of soil profiles, exposures and orientations to be found that will lend a unique personality and characteristics to the grapes of each particular vineyard. Something that is common to all the plots is that they are all have a sandy layer in the top layer of the soils. This sandiness is a key reason why this valley has resisted the onslaught of phylloxera. Apart from this, they all have a calcareous bedrock that lends minerality and complexity to the wines and that act as a barrier to the roots. Having these different soil profiles in mind the Dominio de Atauta winery makes three very distinctive single-plot wines that have very differentiated personalities of their own: La Mala, Valdegatiles and Llanos del Almendro. La Mala La Mala has a topsoil depth of only 0.7 m made up of sand over a thin layer of clay before it reaches a bedrock of limestone. This shallowness means that this vineyard has very low yields which along with the peculiarities of its soil profile give us an exceptionally interesting wine.
Valdegatiles Here we have the deepest soils of our three main single vineyards (1.6 m) and also the soil profile with the highest clay content. The composition and the depth of the soil in this plot are key elements to this wine s potency and structure. Llanos del Almendro The soil profile in Llanos del Almendro is made up of a top layer of sand and river rocks that lie over sandy loam soil. Due to its high sand content and the lack of depth of its soil (1.2 m) it is the poorest plot in the Atauta Valley. It is because of the poorness of this soil and the fact that it accumulates the most heat during the day that the grapes from this plot mature more slowly and therefore have a very high complexity of flavours and aromas.
CENTENARY VINEYARDS. TRADITIONAL AND SUSTAINABLE CULTIVATION. With views overseeing the Somosierra, Urbion and Moncayo mountains the vineyards lie in what used to be the riverbed of the Golbán stream. Nowadays it is an area where evergreen Iberian oaks coexist with aromatic herbs such as thyme and rosemary as well as with fruit gardens, mushrooms and a wide array of fauna such as hares, partridges, doe deer and wild boar. In the skies one will often spot a majestic golden eagle or griffon vulture effortlessly gliding above the valley. The grape variety that predominates here is the Tinto Fino which is how Tempranillo is referred to in the Ribera del Duero. Dominio de Atauta carefully manages more than 500 small plots in the Atauta Valley. Here they only use organic products that are respectful with the perfectly balanced ecosystem of the surrounding area. All viticultural practices here done in the most sustainable manner. All the work that takes place in the vineyards are done by hand following the ecological working philosophy of the winery and also because the vines are planted in such a way that machinery cannot enter any of the plots. The soil treatments are completely natural and only organic matter is used for compost. PRE-PHYLLOXERIC VINEYARDS The vineyards in Dominio de Atauta is mainly pre-phylloxeric and have and average age of about 150. In any case none of the vines here are less than 85 years old. The vines are traditionally planted in a gobelet manner (untrained) which helps them to preserve water which is key in this area with such scarce annual rainfall.
The old age of their meticulously cared for vines coupled with the poor make-up and depth of the soil give them very limited annual productions that reach a maximum of 2.500 kgs per hectare. This means that a single vine would give us enough grapes to only partially fill a single bottle of wine.
A WINERY THAT IS PERCHED ON THE ROCKS: PERCHED ON TOP OF THE ATAUTA VALLEY The Dominio de Atauta winery was built over a decade ago with the sole aim of preserving the unique oenological wealth of this valley. The winery itself is made up of four vertical levels carved into the rock and overseeing the valley so as to have every mechanical process only powered by gravity. The reason for this is to have the least negative impact as possible on the grapes and wines within the winery. The harvest in Dominio de Atauta is always carried out by hand. The grapes are received in the highest floor where they are carefully deposited with the aid of gravity into the tanks that lie in the level below. In the third level is the barrel aging room which houses more than 500 French oak barriques. In the bottom floor one can find the bottling room.
WINEMAKING. GENTLE CARE AND RESPECT FOR THE GRAPES Years of work and experience in this area has led us to perfectly get to know the particularities of each of our more than 500 single-plot vineyards. Taking this into account each plot is vinified separately with utmost respect to the essence and nature of their grapes. Taking great care of the respectful process of transforming these exceptional grapes into wine is a key element of Dominio de Atauta s philosophy. The winery has tanks that have are very different in size and that are made of different materials depending on the particularities of each batch of grapes that is received. This winery has tanks made up of French oak, cement and stainless steel with capacities varying from 1.000 to 10.000 liters. Our philosophy of minimum intervention and maximum respect applies from the moment that the grapes are received to the moment that the wines are bottled. We always strive to achieve natural fermentations without using cold stabilization methods. If filtration takes place it is always extremely gentle.
Once the malolactic fermentation takes place in the wooden vats the wines will be transferred to our aging cellar where they will rest in our new and semi-new French oak barriques. The calcareous rock that is present throughout the valley transmits to our wines a great aging capacity which is accentuated by their time spent in oak which allows them to express their maximum potential.
DOMINIO DE ATAUTA WINES PARADA DE ATAUTA Aging: 12 months Variety: 100% Tinto Fino Average annual production: 47.000 bottles This wine wants to show the concentration and complexity of the grapes and vineyards produced in our area while at the same time maintaining an approachable style that is pleasing to all wine lovers. It is crafted from a selection of grapes from very old vineyards located on the sandy and rocky soils which are characteristic of the Atauta Valley. PARADA DE ATAUTA 2011 INTERNATIONAL WINE CELLAR- STEPHEN TANZER 2014 91 ptos. PARADA DE ATAUTA 2010 GUIA PEÑIN 2014 95 ptos. WINE CELLAR- STEPHEN TANZER 2014 PARADA DE ATAUTA 2009 WINE ADVOCATE ROBERT PARKER 2014 GUIA PEÑIN 2013 Puntuación sobre 100 92 ptos. 94 ptos.
DOMINIO DE ATAUTA Aging: 18 months in French oak barrels Variety: 100% Tinto Fino Average annual production: 34.700 bottles All the factors that together define the term terroir are closely interwoven in the creation process of this wine. Climate, soil profiles, grape variety, age of vineyards and the human element have all been allied to make Dominio de Atauta possible. It is crafted, after which this winery is named, is made solely from ungrafted, pre-philloxeric vineyards located exclusively in the Atauta Valley. DOMINIO DE ATAUTA 2011 WINE CELLAR- STEPHEN TANZER 2014 92 ptos. DOMINIO DE ATAUTA 2010 WINE ADVOCATE ROBERT PARKER 2014 WINE SPECTATOR 2014 GUIA PEÑIN 2014 WINE CELLAR- STEPHEN TANZER 2013 91 ptos. 92 ptos. 94 ptos. 92 ptos. DOMINIO DE ATAUTA 2009 WINE ADVOCATE ROBERT PARKER 2014 GUIA PEÑIN 2013 93 ptos. 93 ptos.
In Domino de Atauta we produce three single-plot wines with the purpose of faithfully showing the potential of the Tinto Fino and the different expressions that it can achieve when cultivated on different soil profiles within the same area. LLANOS DEL ALMENDRO Variety: 100% Tinto Fino Aging: 16 months in french oak barrels Average annual production: 560 bottles Llanos del Almendro is a singular plot that lies on a small plateau within the valley where the depth of the soil goes down to 1,2 meters deep and is mostly made up of clay over a layer of calcareous rock. Form this plot we produce a wine with a distinctive personality that is potent and concentrated yet beautifully balanced. LLANOS DEL ALMENDRO 2009 GUIA PEÑIN 2014 97 ptos. GUIA PEÑIN 2013 96 ptos. WINE SPECTATOR 2013 90 ptos.
VALDEGATILES Variety: 100% Tinto Fino Aging: 18 months in french oak barrels Average annual production: 945 bottles. Valdegatiles is located in the lowest point of the valley and has a surface are of 1.6 ha. It has a 1.8 kg yield per vine which means that the maximum number of bottles that can be produced from this plot is 2.800 as was the case in the 2009 vintage (in other vintages the yields tend to be even lower). This plot gives us unique wines with a highly differentiated personality. VALDEGATILES 2009 WINE ADVOCATE ROBERT PARKER 2014 GUIA PEÑIN 2014 GUIA PEÑIN 2013 WINE CELLAR- STEPHEN TANZER 2014 92 ptos. 96 ptos. 94 ptos. 94 ptos.
LA MALA Variety: 100% Tinto Fino Aging: 18 months in french oak barrels Average annual production: 950 La Mala is perched on a small terrace overlooking the Atauta Valley. It is surrounded by evergreen oaks and walnut trees with a surface area of 0.8 ha and an average yield of 0.7 kg per vine. The maximum amount of bottles that this plot produces per year is 1.200. La Mala faithfully reflects the singularity of its surrounding landscape. Its name La Mala meaning the naughty one in Spanish originates from its exceptionally low yields which made it very unprofitable in the years past for the agriculturalist who inherited it. LA MALA 2009 WINE ADVOCATE ROBERT PARKER 2014 GUIA PEÑIN 2014 GUIA PEÑIN 2013 WINE ADVOCATE ROBERT PARKER 2014 95 ptos. 95 ptos. 93 ptos. 94 ptos.
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