Any visit to Bodegas Cepa 21 is part of living the dream in Ribera del Duero wine country! Last May, I joined WineMine friends from Portugal for SweetEasy wine explorations in Ribera del Duero. Bodegas Cepa 21's wine making and its amazing culinary offerings were the perfect backdrop to experiencing today's Ribera del Duero wine scene.
Bodegas Cepa 21, in the heart of Ribero del Duero region, is located in the area known as The Golden Mile.
Welcome to Bodegas Cepa 21
Cepa 21 was founded in 2007 as a modern project by the Moro family, brothers José and Javier Moro, third generation vignerons. Its vineyards are amongst the highest altitude vineyards in Spain, located at 2,400 – 3,300 feet above sea level. They farm 125 acres of estate vineyards, and also get their grapes from another 125 acres, which is under their management, via agreements they have with the wine growers.
Cepa 21 has constructed a modern, minimalist and functional winery. During the wine making process they utilize both the wisdom accumulated over generations and innovation to produce modern-style wines.
All four red wines are produced from the same grape, Tempranillo (Tinto Fino). In fact they have their own Moro clone, which they have cultivated for more than a century. Cepa 21 aims to produce Tempranillo wines utilizing the very best of tradition and innovation.
Following the cocktail, cordial and first food pairing, what looked like a natural wine to me was introduced.
I have since discovered that Adorado de Menade is a fortified wine (15.5%) made with the Verdejo and Palomino grape varieties. It is produced by the Menade winery as a VT (Vino de la Terra) de Castilla y León. The making of this style of wine dates back to 1900's.
The next plate appeared on the table.
An orange wine was also shared.
This Orange Wine is produced from the white grape Airen that has been macerated with its skins.
A craft beer then appeared.
Then another dish arrived.
A dry Furmint wine arrived.
For me it was time to pause and reflect on the wines before dessert.
Wine Time Reflections, Cepa 21 Restaurant © Spaswinefood
Soon dessert time arrived, and a sweet wine too!
Menade, Sauvignon Blanc Dulce, VT de Castilla y León 2021
The second wine poured from Menade was a sweet Sauvignon Blanc. The very first wine was Adorado de Menade. Yes, we began and ended the lunch wines with VT de Castilla y León wines from Menade.
Lunch at Cepa 21 Restaurant was awesome. I highly recommend it. While at Bodegas Copa 21 Restaurant I tasted their wines, and ate the most delicious lunch. Lunch was an excellent modern style cuisine and wine pairing affair. The wine selection poured during lunch included wines other than Copa 21 wines. There was also a special beer and drink included in the dining experience.
Let's take one last look at the wines and beverages in the lineup.
Indeed, I am delighted to have experienced today's Ribera del Duero wines first hand. Over three days, we visited a variety of wineries, ranging from boutique to large scale producers. In addition, our foodie adventures would include traditional to modern style cuisine.
Ribera Del Duero is where the wine is oh so great and the poppies dotted the landscape. During my springtime visit to Ribera del Duero many times we passed the historic castle on the hill overlooking Peñfiel.
Indeed Ribera del Duero wine country's spring time beauty, its long history and tradition of wine making, and its culinary offerings are the perfect backdrop to today's wine scene. Our Bodegas Cepa 21 visit included touring the winery, tasting the wines, and having the most delicious lunch with excellent food (modern style cuisine) and wine/spirits pairing affair. Bodegas Cepa 21 was excellent for showing me how Ribera Del Duero wines are changing since I was first introduced to this wine region in 2013. Overall today's red wines are more balanced and elegant than earlier wines that I have tasted. 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 future vine-filled explorations in Spain.
Ribera del Duero DO is located in northern Spain's Castilla y León region. There on the northern plateau of the Iberian Peninsula, along the sides of the Duero River, the wine region occupies the southern plains of Burgos province, extends west to Valladolid, and into parts of Segovia and Doris provinces. The appellation received DO status in 1982. In 2008, it was approved for Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) status however, it never pursued this classification, so it remains a DO appellation. It 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. Spring time was great timing to checkout the wines, the cuisine and admire the landscape, dotted with poppies. Everywhere our vine-filled Ribera del Duero explorations took us, poppies and vineyards dotted the landscape.
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