Our secret in Ribera del Duero

Bodegas Roquesan Ribera del Duero

The Winery,

Bodega Roquesan is one of the oldest wineries you can find in the Ribera del Duero D.O. Founded in 1964 when 200 wine growers decided to join together to form a Cooperative. Why? They had very old vineyards, which were very difficult to maintain and manage individually, and in this way they were able to guarantee excellent quality wine, and most importantly hang on to the vines. Centenary vines, so difficult to find in Spain. If you walk around you will see vines that are 100 years old, 80 years old, and the most recently planted: 30 years old. All Tempranillo, a very important grape for Spain, known in this region as “Tinta del País”.
In the winery you will still find the old concrete vats, used in the past for the fermentation. But you will also find very modern stainless steel tanks, necessary nowadays to control quality. The winery use both American and French oak barrels, for the right balance in ageing the wine.
Production per acre is very low. As an old vineyard, the smaller the grape and the lower the yield. The grape skin is very thick, and the resulting quality is excellent: more tannins, more color, more complexity. Combining many old vineyards, as this Bodega did, results  in higher production of around 1 million litres per year.
And most importantly: we have a fantastic price for a top wine in Ribera del Duero. A typical Ribera del Duero, from very old vines. ☞ (Wines), 
Wine Roquesan
The Brand
Up until now, the winery has been very focused on the domestic market. Now, because the winery is part of a project called The Wine Bird (a company selecting the best quality/price ratio from different areas of Spain) they are branching out to new export markets with a special label: “Q”.
This is the logo of the winery, only used for export. This logo means the “grape”. It represents the respect that the winery has received for it’s very own, old vineyards. Most importantly for this winery: the raw material, the terroir, the vines.
 
The Winemaker
Jose Maria Velasco is the main winemaker at the winery. He has been associated with the best wineries in the region in the past, and is one of the most expert person in the Ribera del Duero. For many years, he worked with Mariano Garcia, winemaker of Mauro. They are still very good friends, and spend time together tasting new wines and selecting the best vineyards for each wine.
Now, Jose Maria Velasco has become a partner in The Wine Bird, to help us select the best grapes and wines from different areas in Spain, mainly un-discovered wineries with a huge potencial, quality and value. Which is what he does best. At the same time he consults with  different wineries as a winemaker. Bodega Roquesan is most important for him, because of the terroir and the vineyards. For a winemaker, working with old vines is very difficult, but the result is always amazing.
 
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