A good 10 years before the great "run" on the wines of the Ribera del Duero region began, José Manuel Vizcarra Aguado planted vines in his favourite municipality of Mambrilla de Castrejón in the heart of the region. However, the real story of the winery only began in 1991 with the arrival of his son Juan Carlos Vizcarra Ramos, who set himself the goal of making his wines among the best in the region. In the years that followed, he invested a great deal in improving quality, expanded the vineyard holdings to around 50 hectares, with those parcels with very old vines playing a particularly important role, and launched his first Reserva on the market in 1998 under the name "Selección de Nuestras Vinas". Today, this wine is called "Vizcarra Torralvo". The new winery, which was planned without pumps from the outset, was put into operation in 2007. The must and wine are moved exclusively with the help of natural gravity. Most of the vineyards are planted with Tinto Fino, one of the common names for Tempranillo here. Only a small part is planted with international varieties such as Merlot. Today, the wines of Bodegas Vizcarra are highly regarded internationally. Robert Parker once awarded them 98 out of 100 points, and the renowned "Wine Spectator" ranked the winery directly behind Dominio de Pingus and Bodegas Vega Sicilia. On the other hand, the wines have remained on the carpet in terms of price. Two of Juan Carlos Vizcarra Ramos' wines are dedicated to his two daughters: "Celia", a 100% Tinto Fino, and "Inés", a 90% Tinto Fino with the addition of some Merlot. The range of wines produced by Bodegas Vizcarra extends from first-class entry-level wines, often produced using carbonic maceration, to long-lasting top wines that meet the very highest standards.
