Dominio del Águila ★ 4.8
Jorge Monzón's certified-organic estate at La Aguilera producing Pícaro del Águila rosé, Dominio del Águila and single-parcel Peñas Aladas from pre-phylloxera old vines.
A guide to Albillo Mayor worth seeking out, by region. We list the estates, how each region expresses the grape, and the bottles that show it best.
Albillo Mayor in Ribera del Duero
Bodegas Protos ★ 4.6
Founded in 1927 as a cooperative under Peñafiel Castle, Protos is the historic anchor of the appellation and the region's most-visited winery, housed in a spectacular Richard Rogers-designed cellar opened in 2008.
Tasting: The most-visited winery in Ribera del Duero, with guided tours open to the public since 2009; book via enoturismo@bodegasprotos.com or +34 659 843 463.
Tip: Combine the cellar tour with a visit to the castle-top Museo Provincial del Vino above.
Goyo García Viadero ★ 4.7
A natural-wine pioneer in the Burgos sector working with old pre-phylloxera Tinto Fino and Albillo Mayor vines, producing low-intervention wines with minimal sulfur under the Villalbilla and other labels.
Dominio de Atauta ★ 4.8
Specialists in extreme-altitude old-vine Tinto Fino from the Soria sub-zone at Atauta, where pre-phylloxera ungrafted vines at over 1000 metres produce the Llanos del Almendro and single-parcel La Mala cuvées.
Comenge ★ 4.5
An organic estate at Curiel de Duero producing Don Miguel Comenge, Familia Comenge and the Biberius entry range, plus an Albillo Mayor white and rosé from their castle-view vineyard overlooking the Duero.
Bodega Matarromera ★ 4.5
Carlos Moro's estate at Valbuena de Duero producing Matarromera Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva alongside the Melior range, with vineyards between Olivares and Valbuena and a focus on balanced, elegant Tinto Fino.
Pradorey ★ 4.5
A La Horra estate producing the Pradorey Élite, Reserva and the Albillo Mayor white, with modern winemaking in a 21st-century gravity-flow cellar and a hotel for wine-tourism stays.
Bodegas Mas Que Vinos ★ 4.4
A biodynamic-practicing estate at Valbuena de Duero producing the Ercavio and Alma del Duero ranges from Tinto Fino and Albillo Mayor with a natural wine philosophy, minimal intervention and low added sulphur.
Bodegas Emina ★ 4.4
A large Peñafiel estate within the Matarromera group, producing the Emina Crianza, Reserva and single-vineyard Emina Atio, with a Centro de Interpretación Vitivinícola museum and hospitality complex on site.
Bodegas Arzuaga Navarro ★ 4.6
Golden Mile estate with hotel, spa, restaurant and wine bar under one roof. Tasting room open to walk-ins for by-the-glass pours from the Arzuaga DO Ribera del Duero range; guided cellar tours include vintage vertical flights on request.
Dominio de Es ★ 4.7
Bertrand Sourdais, who also makes Antidoto, launched Dominio de Es sourcing fruit from small pre-phylloxera parcelas around Atauta in Soria. The Vinas Viejas de Soria blends co-fermented Tinto Fino with old-vine Albillo Mayor, aged in Burgundy cooperage. Production is tiny and allocation-only. Decanter reviewed the 2017 vintage positively. One of the most distinctive expressions of the Soria sub-zone available outside Spain.
Tip: Available through specialist Spanish importers; check Voyageurs du Vin (France) and Decanter merchant links for international availability.
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