Valduero is one of the most prestigious Spanish wineries, located in the highlands of Ribera del Duero. Its wines are among the best in the world in international rankings. Their secret is craftsmanship and respect for the land. A heartfelt ecology that, year after year, places them in the highest spheres of luxury.
Valduero Unacepa Premium 2011 was tasted last April by three European collectors: David Krautheim, Nish Pandya and Mauricio Roca, who together with the first Spanish Master of Wine, Pedro Ballesteros, have awarded this wine 99 points out of 100.
Likewise, Valduero Unacepa Premium in its 2011 vintage was also valued by collectors at 99 points out of 100, highlighting its potential to improve inside the bottle for at least another decade.
The creator of this wine, Yolanda García Viadero, from the founding family of this winery, tells us about the unique philosophy that Valduero carries out, in order to ensure that each bottle of wine becomes a small work of art.
Valduero has all its vineyards located in the highest lands of the Ribera del Duero, which, together with viticulture that takes great care of the environment, makes its wines pure craftsmanship. They do not water their vineyards, they do not ask the earth for more than it gives without fertilizers, without chemicals. It is a brave commitment to traditional viticulture, where nature is what provides a unique grape, and human ingenuity turns it into a luxury within an almost completely technological world.
Yolanda organizes a selection of clusters within each vineyard, choosing, according to the year and its climatic characteristics, what she calls excellence, those unique clusters that come from very low yields for each vine. You could say that each plant concentrates its nutrients in just a couple of clusters, which turns those grapes into pure gold.
Valduero Unacepa Premium 2011 is, in a good part of its production process, completely artisanal. It is aged in high-quality wooden barrels and passes through oaks of different origins for four years, taking on its different nuances and acquiring enormous complexity. More than 20 years ago, Yolanda decided to experiment with different woods to achieve, in her own words, “cooking slowly, creating art.”
When we ask Yolanda if artisanal things are fashionable, she answers, convinced that fashions pass but excellence, however, endures. In her opinion, craftsmanship is going to end up becoming the true luxury of the 21st century.
He is clear that his philosophy when creating Valduero wines is honesty and excellence. And he adds that it was in 2009 when he designed this fabulous wine for the first time with that excellent vintage. This wine is only made in special vintages and has a very limited edition. When we ask him which ones are his favorites, he answers without hesitation: “The one from 2010 and 2011. Also, the one from Valduero Unacepa Premium from 2015.”
The collectors highlighted the true privilege of uncorking one of these magnificent sealed bottles, 12 years old but which exude a miraculous freshness combined with a great complexity of sensations and aromas. In the quiet of the underground caves of Valduero, these magnificent wines continue to be aged, an ode to excellence.