Bodegas Áster

It’s no secret that Tempranillo is Spain’s most widely-planted red grape variety, and this largely due to the centuries-long success of its home region, Rioja. But southwest of there, in the provinces of Burgos, Valladolid, Segovia, and Soria, Tempranillo has established a second bastion: Ribera del Duero. Sunny, dry weather, rocky clay-limestone soil, and high altitude (with its huge diurnal-nocturnal temperature swings) all conspire to create an unrepeatable expression of Tempranillo (or as it’s known here, Tinto Fino or Tinta del País). These wines are typically darker and more powerful than their Rioja cousins, but the good ones blaze forth with a unique freshness and crunch.

Given the raw material, it’s natural that many Rioja producers over the years have been drawn to this neighboring zone, and the historic Haro firm of La Rioja Alta is no exception. After searching through ideal terroirs for several years, they purchased the old parcel of Finca El Otero in Anguix, Burgos province, in 1993, and set to work to understand how to best capture the essence of these vines. Centenary companies don’t rush quality: it was not until 2000 that Bodegas Áster was born.

Today, Bodegas Áster produces three expressions of Ribera: a superb entry-level Crianza intended to show the perfect blend of structure, fruit, and oak elevage; El Espino, a newer cuvée selected for aroma and fruit intensity; and Finca El Otero. This last, sourced from the estate’s original oldest vines, is the total package, and is now considered to be one of the best single cuvées being produced in the Ribera appellation.