Living the dream in Ribera del Duero: Cillar De Silos

Cillar de Silos was a perfect way to start our last day of living the dream in Ribera del Duero Wine Country! Our WineMine travels with SweetEasy took us to this very special place rich in wine history. Naming the winery Cillar de Silos is a tribute to a monk who was in charge of wine storage at the Silos Monastery. The Aragón family decided to restore the underground 16th century cellars, where wines were stored for the Monastery of Silos. Cillar de Silos has been instrumental in preserving that history while producing some of the world's best wines.

WineMine Tasting Cillar de Silos Wines © Spaswinefood

Welcome to Cillar De Silos

Cillar De Silos, Quintana del Pidio, in the Ribera Burgos area, was a big hit for us. The Aragón family has been involved in wine production since 1970's. Grapes for their wines come from more than 150 hectares of sustainably farmed vineyards, within the Garden of Ribera del Duero. Some of these vineyards are small plots, less than one hectare. The vines range in age, from 15 years to more than 100 years, with some pre-phylloxera plots. Give the nature of the climate in this area, the vines do not often suffer from diseases. The biggest challenge is the occasional damage from hail. Northern Ribera del Duero’s continental climate is characterized by extremely cold winters and blazing hot summers. Its massive diurnal temperature range allows for both the accumulation of grape sugar and the retention of grape acidity.

Cillar De Silos Winery, Quintana del Pidio © Spaswinefood

After we met at Cellar de Silos winery we were off to their historic cellars. 

Off to Cillar de Silos Historic Cellars © Spaswinefood

Soon we were walking through the remains of old historic buildings towards the entrance to the underground cellar.

Poppies, Cillar de Silos © Spaswinefood

Poppies & Ventilation Towers, Cillar de Silos © Spaswinefood

Spring Time Poppies, Cillar de Silos © Spaswinefood

Soon we were at the entrance to Cellar Silos underground cellar.

Main Entrance Cillar de Silos Cellars © Spaswinefood

As we entered the underground cellars we first arrived in an area with a large wine press on display.

Welcome to Cillar de Silos Underground Cellars © Spaswinefood

Besides viewing the historic wine press we were introduced to the concrete vats used for wine aging.

Wine Press, Cillar de Silos Underground Cellars © Spaswinefood

Concrete Vats, Cillar de Silos © Spaswinefood

Introduction Cillar de Silos Underground Cellars © Spaswinefood

From there it was through an entrance that would take us down into the main underground cellar area.

Entrance, Cillar de Silos Underground Cellars © Spaswinefood

Once underground we viewed a number of cellaring areas connected via tunnels.

Underground, Cillar de Silos Cellars © Spaswinefood

We also viewed a number of barrel rooms used to age the wines.

A Barrel Room, Cillar de Silos © Spaswinefood

Besides aging in concrete vats and barrels the underground cellar is utilized for storage and further aging of some bottled wines. Underground cellars have been used in this area for over 300 years. They are 14 m underground, and around 30 km in length, they have a constant temperature of 13°C.

Bottle Storage Area, Cillar de Silos © Spaswinefood

Wine Storage, Cillar De Silos © Spaswinefood

After touring those unique underground cellars, it was back up to the surface, and then off to a nearby site where we did a wine tasting.

Off to Taste Cillar de Silos Wines © Spaswinefood

Cillar de Silos Winery © Spaswinefood

Cillar de Silos Wine Tasting

Our wine tasting was at a beautiful restored old, traditional winery (pre-1975).

Table Ready, Cillar De Silos © Spaswinefood

Wine Tasting, Cillar De Silos © Spaswinefood

Our table had tasty charcuterie to go along with the wine tasting.

Cillar de Silos Wine Tasting © Spaswinefood

Ready to Taste Wine, Cillar de Silos © Spaswinefood

After a brief overview the tasting began.

Dominio Del Pidio Rosado © Spaswinefood

Dominio Del Pidio, Rosado, DO Riberia Del Duero 2021

Dominio Del Pidio, Rosado, DO Ribera Del Duero 2021 © Spaswinefood

This rosé wine is 50% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 50% Albillo.

Cillar De Silos Blanco, DO Ribera Del Duero 2021

Cillar De Silos Blanco (Albillo Mayor), DO Ribera Del Duero 2021 © Spaswinefood

This white wine is produced from hand harvested Albillo grapes grown on vines up to 100 years old. Clearly, the use of Albillo grapes in the making of Cillar De Silos white and rosé wines illustrates quite well how this grape can produce excellent wines in the hands of a skilled winemaker. 

Next, we were onto the Tempranillo wines, beginning with a crianza.

Cillar de Silos Tempranillo © Spaswinefood

Cillar de Silos, Crianza, DO Ribera Del Duero 2020

Cillar de Silos, Crianza, DO Ribera Del Duero 2020 © Spaswinefood

Crianza wines, as per DO Ribera Del Duero regulations, must be aged at least 12 months in oak barrel and cannot be released before 24 months. In this case carefully selected Tempranillo grapes are grown on a variety of different terroirs, some of which are tiny plots with very old vines. It is matured for 13 months in French oak. 

Domino Del Pidio, DO Ribera Del Duero 2020

Domino Del Pidio, DO Ribera Del Duero 2020 © Spaswinefood

Dominio Del Pidio, DO Ribera Del Duero 2020 © Spaswinefood

The Tempranillo grapes for this wine are grown in old Quintana del Pidio vineyards where they are cultivated using organic agriculture and biodynamic techniques, and limiting the yield. The grapes ferment spontaneously with native yeasts in cement tanks. The wine then ages for 15 months in 228 and 500 litre French oak barrels.

Flor de Silos, DO Ribera Del Duero 2018

Flor de Silos, DO Ribera Del Duero 2018 © Spaswinefood

Flor de Silos, Crianza, DO Ribera Del Duero 2018 © Spaswinefood

Flor de Silos, DO Ribera Del Duero 2018 © Spaswinefood

The grapes are grown vines that are at least 120 years old. The vines are super gnarly and withered, its roots reach down 20-30 metres in search of nutrients. The amount of Tempranillo fruit each vine produces is quite small, with only around 10 barrels produced each year. The wine is aged French oak for 18 months. The result is a world-class red wine capable of aging for decades.

Our wine tasting was an excellent introduction to Cillar De Silos wines.

We ended the tasting with a Vermouth. Vermouth is project recently undertaken by the winery.

Golfo Vermouth Tinto © Spaswinefood

The vermouth is made exclusively from Tempranillo grapes and aged in oak casks before bottling.

Let's take a look at the wine displays.

Cillar de Silos Wines © Spaswinefood

Cillar de Silos Wines © Spaswinefood

Once you tour Cillar De Silos estate and/or taste their wines you will be impressed. Of course my European friends who were traveling with their cars were able to stock up on these wines. Some of the above Cillar De Silos wines are available in US wine shops. Indeed, experiencing today's Ribera del Duero first hand was the perfect opportunity to not only discover amazing wines but also, learn about its long history and tradition of wine making. Cillar De Silos, within the Burgos area of Ribera, plays an important role of preserving and sharing that history. Throughout our spring time vine-filled travels within the DO I loved viewing the stunning landscape, dotted with poppies. I so loved passing the historic castle on the hill overlooking Peñfiel.

Ribera del Duero Wine Country © Spaswinefood

Historic Castle, Peñafiel, Ribero del Duero © Spaswinefood

For sure being introduced to Cillar De Silos wines, and its role in preserving Ribera del Duero's rich wine making history was an amazing living the dream experience. After our Cillar De Silos visit our Ribera del Duero stops included  Cepa 21 (toured winery, tasted the wines, and had the most delicious lunch (modern style cuisine) and wine pairing. Later, that evening back at the hotel before dinner, my WineMine friends would share some of their favorite wines. I invite you to join me in my wine travels in Spain and elsewhere at Wine Travels with Dr. Sharon, and at Spaswinefood on Twitter and Facebook. I am so looking forward to sharing more on my recent vine-filled explorations in Spain. 

CHEERS!

Sharon 

May 2023

Ribera del Duero, Spain 

© Spaswinefood

Cillar De Silos, Ribera del Duero © Spaswinefood

Spring Time Poppies, Ribera del Duero © Spaswinefood

NOTE: Ribera del Duero DO is one of Spain's best red wine regions. It is known for its Tempranillo (Tinto Fino), which is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec, up to 25 %. The appellation is almost exclusively red and rosado (rosé) wines. To be recognized as DO,  its red wines must contain a minimum of 75 % Tempranillo. No more than 5 % Garnacha or Albillo, in total, may be added. Its Rosado wines must have a minimum of 50 % of the authorized red varieties. The white wine produced, mostly for local consumption, is Albillo. DO regulations require at least 75 % of Albillo grapes be used.

Overall today's red wines are more balanced and elegant than earlier wines that I have tasted. While red wines will always take central stage in Ribera del Duero, the rosé and white wines that I tasted are a great addition to the overall wine portfolio. 

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