Secreto Ribera del Duero Bodegas Vina Mayor – 2019

“Secreto” is the personal collection of Almudena Alberca MW, the winemaker and technical director of Vina Major in the Ribera del Duero, and Spain’s first and only female Master of Wine. The winery is located in the “golden mile” of Ribera del Duero – the most prestigious area of the region – and a mere stone’s throw from cult winery Vega Sicilia! Each of the three wines in this excellent range shows the different personalities of the Tempranillo grape when planted on the best terroirs of the Ribera del Duero appellation. The Secreto wines are at the forefront of sustainable winemaking in Spain. 

Secreto is the most important wine in the collection and comes from vines averaging over 60 years old at an altitude of over 900 meters above sea level. It is a blend of Tempranillo grapes from different vineyards in the region, planted on sand, clay, and limestone soils. It was fermented in concrete eggs followed by ageing for one year in 500 litre French oak barrels, then 18 months in bottle.

It is a fine and complex red combining Ribera del Duero fruit and power with the elegance and finesse of the 2019 vintage and a real “old vine” sense of minerality.

“Viña Mayor, on Ribera del Duero’s ‘Golden Mile’, is part of the commercial group which includes the historic Rioja bodega Cosme Palacios. With a focus on sustainability – it is the first winery in Ribera certified Wineries for Climate Protection – the Secreto wines are born from high-altitude vineyards, grapes for this wine coming from vines grown at 900m, more than 60 years of age, on sandy, clay and chalky soils. Beth Willard: A very fresh and elegant example of Ribera. Aromas of redcurrant, tannins well managed, ripe and soft. Crisp and lively finish, great energy. David Williams: Bright and lifted: cherry and raspberry, dark plum. Succulent, and an almost airy palate with incisive acidity and fine, grippy tannin. An elegant take. Diana Rollan: This has an intense floral character, red berries, raspberry and cranberry with a herbal touch. Vibrant and elegant with silky tannins. Very enjoyable.”

95/100pts Decanter and one of the 5 top scoring wines in Decanter Magazine Ribera del Duero tasting, February 2024 .