Terroir

Valle del Duero

In the municipality of Valbuena de Duero, in Valladolid.

The Ribera del Duero area is formed by an ancient, levelled bedrock covered in tertiary and quaternary sediments around most of the basin. These sediments are mainly silty or clayey sand alternating with limestone and marl layers, as well as calcareous concretions. These sediments were deposited during the Miocene period (about ten million years ago) in rivers and lakes. The valley beds are occupied, in turn, by very recent sediments: mainly gravel and sand, which are laid out in terraces or extensive floodplains on the sides of the baseflows.

The region is dominated by the Tempranillo grape variety, perfect for its cultivation, not only in the privileged orography of the area, but also in its continental weather characterised by cold winters and hot summers.

The types of vine cultivation in Matarromera are carried out through the tying and goblet methods. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Albillo are grown in addition to Tempranillo.

Vineyard work requires many tasks to be performed throughout the year. Cluster thinning, pollarding, summer pruning and preventive treatments, to name but a few. But the two essential field tasks are winter pruning and harvesting.

Grape harvest is one of the most important moments in Bodega Matarromera's winemaking process. Visits are made to the plots prior to choosing the harvest date, a key moment based on several parameters depending on the state of the grapes.

The Tempranillo grape from Olivares and Valbuena, grown at the heart of Ribera del Duero's Golden Mile, requires a great deal of care and daily work. For this reason, grapes are harvested by hand, selecting clusters twice, and then grape by grape on another selection table.

The grapes are always harvested in stackable harvesting crates with bollards, weighing no more than 20 kg, for a unique grape capable of producing wines that are destined to achieve legend status.

All the effort and hard work that goes into harvesting reaps its reward: collecting for a fine vintage that will be worthy of creating great Bodega Matarromera wines.