Domain: Pintia

Located close to the Ribera del Duero, the Toro designation area offers a few wines that are certainly worth an extra journey. The Alvarez family, owners of the famous Vega Sicilia bodega, established their presence in this designation area in the mid-90s, buying an estate of around one hundred hectares on the banks of the Duero river. One section of the estate had already been planted with tempranillo vines (or Tinta de Toro) aged between 25 and 50 years. The first vintage was born in 2001. In a designation area known for its austere wines, the Bodegas Pintia's philosophy was to retain a maximum amount of fruitiness and freshness in its wines while avoiding the risks of over-ripe grapes. The Bodega Pintia is managed by Pablo Alvarez, member of the family that owns the Vega Sicilia, who also heads up the Alion, Tokaj Oremus and Alquiriz bodegas. From the 40,000 bottles produced for the first vintage, production gradually rose to between 250,000 and 300,000 bottles, as the land that had been until now unused was planted in 1995.