Y esto es lo que cuenta de Torremilanos: I’ve been meaning to catch up with

Y esto es lo que cuenta de Torremilanos:

I’ve been meaning to catch up with Ricardo Peñalba from Torremilanos for a long time, but somehow, I never found enough time. I had been to the property many years ago but wanted to visit Finca Torremilanos again, as it is one of the finest properties in Aranda de Duero in Ribera del Duero. It's been in the hands of the Peñalba family since 1975. What’s impressive is that most of their 202 hectares of vineyards are there and have been certified organic and biodynamic for a while; that’s a large property for such workload, and it’s also a clear indication of the vision in a zone where herbicides and potassium have been the norm for too many people and for too long.

We had a fine Castilian morning of cold-ish weather but lots of light and bright sun, and we did a good walking tour of the property, which is beautiful. We later sat down to taste widely, and the main conclusion I got is that irrespective of the conditions of the vintage each year, they produce better wines than the previous one, which to me is the number one sign of a winery on its way up.

They have one of the few and one of the finest whites from the appellation, a category that is still very young in the appellation (white have only been admitted since September 2019) and has prevented the development of white varieties in the region. But they have some old vine Albillo Mayor, the local variety, and also some Viura, which is the main white from Rioja and is also grown in other regions under the name Macabeo. The wine matured in barrel for a long time (22 months, almost three years in the previous vintage that was 2015) and has moderate alcohol and high acidity, making it a vin de garde.