Visiting Pintia: Vega Sicilia’s winery in Toro, Spain
In the mid 1990s the Álvarez family, owners of the famous Vega Sicilia winery in Spain’s Ribera del Duero, were looking to expand. They’d already established Alión, a winery next door to Vega Sicilia, and spent a year on the hunt. Sticking with the Duero river, they settled on Toro, a small region about a hundred kilometres downstream, on the way to Portugal (where the Duero becomes the Douro). They began buying old vineyards, focusing on San Román de Hornija, where the stony, pebbly alluvial soils were left by the meandering course of the river over time.
‘Toro has historically been a rustic region,’ says Pablo Alvarez, who is the head of the Vega Sicilia group of wineries. We’ve tried to respect the fruit and make a more elegant wine.’
Vega Sicilia have 125 hectares of vines in the region, and as is typical for Toro, the planting density is very low at 1000 plants/hectare. ‘We have 75 hectares of vineyard that are on their own roots, because part of the region has never had phylloxera,’ he explains. Some of these vines are 50-60 years old.
Wine taken from the bottom of the tank 
is then pumped to the top 
where it is sprayed onto the cap of skins 
which helps extract colour and structure, and stops the cap drying out
Vega Sicilia have 125 hectares of vines in the region, and as is typical for Toro, the planting density is very low at 1000 plants/hectare. ‘We have 75 hectares of vineyard that are on their own roots, because part of the region has never had phylloxera,’ he explains. Some of these vines are 50-60 years old.
They spent four years experimenting. Which barrels should they use? How long should the wine stay in them? Should they do malolactic in barrel? They decided that their winemaking goal should be to preserve the fruit as much as possible. Just one wine – the grand vin – is made each year, and it spends 12-15 months in new oak (typically 70% French and 30% American).
After fermentation finishes, wine is drained off, then the tank is emptied 
the skins, with wine in them, are transferred 
into the press cage 
this will be taken to the press and the wine is squeezed out
The first vintage of Pintia was 2001, and production is at around 300 000 bottles per year (this compares with 100 000 bottles of Unico, 200 000 bottles of Valbuena and 300 000 bottles of Alion). The current winery was completed in 2006, and it’s very practical, as well as being quite stylish.
Here’s a film of the visit:
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THE WINES
Pintia 2015 Toro, Spain
Ripe, expressive nose with lovely black cherry and blackberry fruit, with some spicy, tarry detail. The palate is ripe and structured and has sweet rich fruit with some spicy oak. There’s nice sweetness to the fruit profile and good structure: an attractive wine in a ripe style. 93/100
Pintia 2014 Toro, Spain
Sweet, lush blackberry and black cherry nose. The palate is rich with a slight chocolatey edge. Rich, bold and concentrated with real density. Spicy finish. 92/100
Pintia 2008 Toro, Spain
This has richness and some warm autumnal hints, as well as a touch of mint. The palate shows ripe blackberry fruit with some warmth, and firm tannins. Grippy and savoury, developing nicely, with hints of earth and ash on the finish. 92/100
Find these wines with wine-searcher.com
See also: Visiting Vega Sicilia
