In an era when many wineries in DO Ribera del Duero were making wines from grapes grown in a single area, AALTO sought to diversify. In 1999, renowned winery co-founder and winemaker Mariano García began in 1999 masterfully vinifing and blending Tempranillo from select old-vine parcels in well-known municipalities like La Horra, La Aguilera and Roa. As the project grew, the founders built a winery on a plot of 37 acres in Quintanilla de Arriba. Today,AALTOworkswithover200extraordinaryparcelsthroughouttheregiontoachievecomplexity andeleganceintheirwines.
MarianoGarcíaandJavierZaccagninifounded AALTO in 1999. They vinified in rented facilities in the early years, eventually purchasing land in Quintanilla de Arriba to build a winery. They commissioned the winery design from well-known architect Jesús Manzanares, who incorporated gravity-flow functionality in a minimalist style.In2005,thefirstharvestarrivedatthe new winery. In 2006, the Nozaleda and Masaveufamilies,bothnotedwineryowners, joinedtheAALTOpartnership.
The basis for AALTO wines is old vines, most of which are between 60 and 100 years old. The winery works very closely with the families that cultivate these vines, who are very conscious of the viticultural legacy started by their grandparents. Minimal intervention is crucial to protect biodiversity an to maintain the balance and rich environment that keep these older vineshealthyandvital.
THE TEAM
WinemakerMarianoGarcía,whospentseveraldecades as the Technical Director of Vega Sicilia, has spent his careermakingwinethroughoutCastilla-Léon.
Joining Mariano at AALTO after working under him at Vega Sicilia, Winemaker Antonio Moral oversees daily operations.HewasbornandraisedinRiberadelDuero, andisfascinatedbyitshistory,geographyandgeology. His extensive knowledge of the region serves him well asheworkswiththegrapesfromdistinctlocalterroirs.
Winemaker:AntonioMoral
TERROIR
For example, the pale brown, calcareous clay hillsides ofQuintanilladeArribaproducegrapeswithcharacter influenced by limestone. This is contrasted with the terraced, pre-mountain vineyards in Moradillo de Roa. The soil there is composed of stones of fluvial and glacial origin. These parcels are also much further fromthemoderatinginfluenceoftheDueroRiver,and have a more extreme microclimate. Soil compositions from other municipalities include ferrous clay, sand, sandstone, loam and alluvial and are coupled with variationsinorientation,microclimateandorography.
VITICULTURE & WINEMAKING
THREE PILLARS The quality of AALTO wines rests on three pillars: old vineyards with massal selections of Tempranillo, a variety of distinct terroirs and Mariano García’s extensive experience in the region. The winery has long-term agreements with owners of parcels. AALTO’s team directs cultivation efforts and monitors each parcel carefully since there are great differencesinconditions.Goalsaretoensurequalityandevenripening.Grapesarehand-harvestedattheoptimaltimeand transportedtothewineryinboxes,wheretheyarekeptseparatebyparcel.
VINIFICATION Grapes are chilled in the chamber and sorted before being destemmed and crushed. Each zone is vatted separately in stainless steel that were designed by Mariano or oak vats. Cold maceration gives way to spontaneous fermentation with native yeast. The soft pump-overs allow for a gentle extraction, while maintaining fruit character and freshness. After malolactic fermentation, wines are aged in French and American oak. Aging times are determined by tasting.
AALTO is a blend of wines from the different municipalities. The final blend is chosen by the character of all plots, rather than a selection by barrel, with the goal of creating a balanced and complex wine. A selection of the best parcels are blendedinAALTOPS(PagosSeleccionados).
AALTOhasveryoldvines from60to100yearsold. At that time, vineyards wereusuallyplantedwith cuttings from the best performingvinesfromthe family’s or neighbors’ vineyard.Thesevinesare usually very well-adaptedtotheterroir andproducehigh-quality grapes.
The calcareous-clay soils contain layers of sedimentation including gravel, sand and silt. This givestheTempranillocomplexity,breadthandlength onthepalate.Aromasrangefromredfruitstolicorice. Freshness and structure in the wines come from the highaltitudeandtheextremecontinentalclimate.
Singularities of the winery
AALTOhasanextraordinaryrangeofparcelsinvery diverse areas of Ribera del Duero. The blend of wines from nine different zones produces a singular interpretationofTempranillofromtheregion.
The vinification process seeks to respect and express the character of the variety and the terroir. By temperature control during fermentation, preservation of the fruit and the typicity of the Tempranillograpeisachieved,whichthenareagedin barrels to complete the winemaking process. Oak aging enhances the spicy notes and integrates the palate.
Founders Mariano Garcia and Javier Zaccagnini have been great supporters of GPE and spearheaded the initial expansion of the organization to other areas of Spain in 2004. Their dedication to exploring the terroirs of Ribera del Duero sets the highest standards for quality in the region.
AALTO PORTFOLIO:
AALTO, AALTO PS
AALTO
DO Ribera del Duero
Varieties
100% Tempranillo
Vinification
Average of 18 months in French and American oak
Good to Know
From vines 40 to 80 years old – from nine different villages
AALTO PS DO Ribera del Duero
Varieties
100% Tempranillo
Vinification
Average of 21 months in French oak
Good to Know
Selection of the best plots from La Horra and La Aguilera
