Domino del Aguilla, Picaro del Aguila Clarete 2023

Dominio del Aguila may be a young name in Ribera del Duero, founded in 2010, but it has already redrawn the map of what this region’s wines can be. At its core is Jorge Monzon, a winemaker with rare experience for someone of his generation. After studying viticulture in Bordeaux and Burgundy, his first job was at none other than Domaine de la Romanee-Conti. From there he returned to Spain, spending time at Vega Sicilia and then Bodegas Arzuaga-Navarro. It was while working there that he began to notice old vineyards in La Aguilera, many of them over a century old, whose fruit was quietly feeding the best cuvées of top estates. Together with his partner Isabel Rodero, he set about securing these sites and giving them a voice of their own.

The vineyards are treasures of heritage: ancient Tempranillo, alongside scattered rows of Blanca del Pais, Albillo, Garnacha, Bobal and even Tempranillo Gris. They are farmed organically with a clear eye toward biodynamics. In the cellar, Jorge and Isabel work in restored 15th-century underground caves, where fermentations are long and natural, whole bunches are trodden by foot, and wines are raised patiently in concrete and French oak.

What sets Dominio del Aguila apart is not just method but intent. In a region often associated with power, ripeness and gloss, Jorge has chosen restraint. His wines are elegant, finely detailed and deeply expressive of place. They can be enjoyed young, but they also carry a quiet authority that promises decades of life ahead.

The philosophy is simple yet ambitious: to craft wines that are pure, fine and enduring, a bridge between tradition and modern knowledge. It’s a vision that has already produced some of the most captivating bottles in Ribera del Duero, and given the age of the vineyards and the patience of their makers, it feels like the story is only just beginning.