Camino de los Arrieros

2017
Spain
Castilla y León

DO Arribes is a little-known appellation located on the extreme western edge of Spain along its border with Portugal. Here, Alvar de Dios 36 small parcels of vines totaling 5 hectares, most of which are used to create Camino de los Arrieros. A blend of Rufete, Juan García, Trincadeira Preta, Merenzao, and some other stray varieties mixed in the vineyards all planted on sandy red slate soils. Camino is harvested by hand, fermented whole cluster by indigenous yeasts in 1000L French oak vats with pigeage by foot. Aged for 6 months in a combination of 1000L and 500L French oak barrels.

91 points
"I tasted two very different vintages from the village red from Villadepera, the much warmer and drier 2017 and the radically different 2018. The 2017 Camino de los Arrieros, which is approximately 25% Juan García, 15% Bastardo, 20% Trincadeira Preta, 10% Rufete, 10% Mandón and the remaining made up of white grapes fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in 1,000-liter oak foudre and 500-liter barrel for six months. Despite the character of the vintage, the wine is only 12.5% alcohol, and yes, it feels a little riper when tasted next to the 2018, but it's still a medium-bodied, lightish and pale red that is characterful and easy to drink, with some cherries and wild herbs and very fine, almost unnoticeable tannins. It's simply delicious. 8,800 bottles were filled in June 2018."
Luis Gutiérrez,
Wine Advocate
December 30, 2019
91 points
"Alvar de Dios’ Camino de Los Arrieros bottling is not made from the Tempranillo grape, but a range of other varieties, including Rufete, Maranzao, Juan García, Trincadeira and Bastardo, amongst others, grown on red slate and sand soils, with all of the vines a minimum of forty years of age and many more than double that. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in five hundred casks and thousand-liter foudres. The 2017 comes in at a svelte 12.5 percent alcohol and delivers a fine, complex nose of dark berries, bitter cherry, a nice range of botanicals, a fine base of slate soil tones, bonfire,s and a top note of mustard seed. On the palate, the wine is bright, fullish, and beautifully transparent, with a good core, fine focus and balance, tangy acids and a long, complex finish. This is really lovely wine, with a lightness of step that is very rare for this region. 2022-2035."
John Gilman,
View From the Cellar Issue 99
July 14, 2022

SKU/Code: 
DB3695-17
Product Line: 
Wine
Red
Varietal: 
Rufete
Farming Type: 
Biodynamic