In fascinating wine-growing regions of the world, the little stories that lead to top wineries are repeated time and again. The story of Atauta begins with a wine importer from Madrid who fell in love with a particular corner of the Ribera del Duero region on a trip there and decided to set up his own winery in early 2000. These parcels of land, which had taken his fancy, are located in an abandoned valley at almost 1,000 meters above sea level, and a name was quickly found, the remote valley gave the winery its name - Atauta. The parcels of land that fascinated the merchant so much were around 80 - 100 years old and had survived perfectly under the harsh conditions at these lofty heights. One plot, which had only been restored a few years ago, even had vines that were 160 years old and had survived the phylloxera attacks. This was what would be called a mixed set today, because more than 100 years ago, people did not know exactly what grape varieties were actually in their own vineyards. But that alone does not account for the great appeal of Dominio Atauta's wines. At these cool altitudes with extreme differences between day and night, the grapes ripen extremely slowly and can only be harvested very late, but the wines are full of finesse, plump fruit, great complexity and enriched with an animating minerality. The vineyards are divided into around 500 micro-parcels, each of which is cultivated separately, but of course according to strict organic criteria. Each grape variety is vinified separately before being blended into the works of art that delight the international wine world. A longer period of ageing in barriques is necessary, as the wines from these high altitudes often appear closed and forbidding when young. However, once they have reached their drinking maturity, they take on a tremendous form, showing enormous depth, finesse and complexity - in short, they demonstrate an almost majestic character. Even the entry-level wines are made from vines that are in some cases 100 years old or more, achieving ratings that not even the top wines achieve elsewhere. And experts agree that the top wines are among the world's great red wines.
