Step 3 – Cebreros

Edition 2021 Step 1 – Perpignan (Roussillon) Step 2 – Châteauneuf-du-Pape Step 3 – Cebreros Step 4 – Ascoli Piceno

CEBREROS: GRENACHES OF PASSION AND... ALTITUDE!

The wines of Cebreros, which became very popular in Madrid and Avila in the 16th century, were already being talked about in the 13th century. After the late arrival of phylloxera at the beginning of the 20th century and a decline in the wine-growing area, a recovery began in the 1970s. Soon the category of Vino de la Tierra appeared and, with the help of new generations, in 2017 Cebreros was recognised as a Protected Designation of Origin.

Between Avila, Madrid and the Gredos mountains

In the heart of Spain, the Cebreros DO is made up of 35 municipalities in the province of Ávila, in the autonomous community of Castilla y León. A territory characterised by the Gredos mountains, old non-irrigated vines, Grenache Noir and Albillo Real as a common link, but which presents important singularities depending on where you stand:

The Alto Alberche Valley

Vineyards located on granitic soils between 800 and 1200 metres above sea level, where the climate is harsher and more continental.

The Alberche-Pinares Valley

The dry Mediterranean climate and the diversity of soils (granite and schist) define the area, where flourish old vines located between 700 and almost 1100 metres above sea level.

The Tiétar Valley

A Mediterranean climate but with high humidity conditions (reaching about 1000 mm per year), almost twice as much as in the other two regions. The vineyards are located between 500 and 800 metres above sea level.

A Grenache territory par excellence

There are two main grape varieties in the DOP Cebreros: Grenache Noir which makes up at least 95% of the rosé and red wines (although most of the red wines produced are 100% Grenache) and Albillo Real, the only white grape variety permitted.

The other two permitted secondary red varieties are Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet) and Tempranillo, which can only contribute up to 5% to the rosé and red blends.

The dry whites, rosés and reds of the DOP Cebreros acquire their personality thanks to the high-altitude viticulture (some vineyards are located at more than 1,000 metres) and to the virtues of these unique grape varieties associated with predominantly granite and acidic soils. The wines have a high alcohol content, good acidity, balance, and elegance.

The sandy soils of the granite bedrock and the moderate microclimate compared to the rest of Castile give Cebreros wines a strong and unique typicity. The Grenache and Albillo varieties are the best adapted to the region thanks to the work of the winemakers, producing fresh and mineral red wines and tasty and lively whites.

The passion for quality work and for the land characterises the winegrowers of the 18 wineries that make up the DOP Cebreros. Most of them are young and innovative projects, committed to the recovery of old vines and heritage, with an emphasis on quality and honesty, rehabilitating the almost 500 hectares of vineyards and more than 1,000 plots of land spread over the territory of the appellation.

Interview with Rafael Mancebo (President of DOP Cebreros)

  • The DOP Cebreros is a land of grenache par excellence, how do you explain this specific connection?

Grenache and Cebreros have always been linked. The DOP Cebreros is made up of 35 municipalities in the province of Ávila, in the Community of Castilla y León, between the mountains of Gredos, at 100 kilometres from Madrid, between the valleys of the Alberche and the Tiétar, in an area where Grenache, as a grape variety, has been present for a very long time. It is the variety used by the inhabitants of these small towns to make their wines, which means that we have very old vines and extraordinary landscapes.

  • The Grenaches du Monde competition was born in another great land of Grenache, the Roussillon. What does this travelling event specialising in this grape variety bring to the industry?

It is essential that Grenaches du Monde is organised in different regions. This year, thanks to the new format proposed, we have the opportunity to present ourselves to the whole world so that consumers and wine lovers can discover us. By organising this tasting, prescribers, distributors, journalists and sommeliers will not only discover our wines and our land, but also these mountains of Gredos and the men and women who produce these wines. This is a great recognition for them.

  • This event is characterised by collaboration between producing regions, how do you explain this unique feature?

Indeed, our friends from Roussillon have had a wonderful idea in allowing professionals and enthusiasts of this grape variety to get together for a few days and share their experiences.

For small appellations such as ours, which is very young since it has only existed for three and a half years, for all the inhabitants of these small areas made visible thanks to the competition, I think it is a wonderful opportunity which will attract the attention of professionals and amateurs from all over the world.

  • Thanks to the Grenaches du Monde competition, what other regions have you discovered?

I was lucky enough to participate in the last editions of Grenaches du Monde: I visited Roussillon, Terra Alta, Sardinia... unique regions with a lot of character, like their wines!

We have been organising small local competitions around Grenache in the villages of the region for 25 years, but hosting the Grenaches du Monde is an undeniable asset. We could never have imagined that the competition would come to us, and so quickly! We are very proud to open this window on the world and we are convinced that it will offer us many more marvellous paths to travel. What better setting than the Grenaches du Monde to present the wines of all these new projects of young winemakers who are harvesting the grapes of the vines planted by their ancestors?

 

Winegrowers
Winegrowers
330
Special cellars
Special cellars
17
Cooperative cellars
Cooperative cellars
1
Winegrower-broker
Winegrower-broker
0
Surface area
Surface area
460 ha
Marketing
Marketing
5 420 hl

Competition location

Cebreros