Bodegas Mauro 2006
The discovery of something special is always a moving experience for the scrupulous wine merchant. Close to the famous vineyards belonging to the Bodegas Vega Sicilia, a small hut by the road advertises a tasting of wines from Bodegas Mauro. Usually one pays little attention to roadside publicity, but imagine our surprise on tasting a wine with all the class, elegance and complexity of a Bordeaux Classed Growth; almost ready to drink and available at a fraction of the price. The winemakers are Alberto & Eduardo Garcia, sons of Mariano Garcia, ex-winemaker of 30 years for Vega Sicilia.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, when nearby Valladolid was capital of Spain and seat of the Spanish kings and queens, the Tudela district was the city's main source for red wines. In 1562 King Philip II went as far as passing ordinances decreeing that wines from Tudela del Duero be exempt from taxation due to their exceptional quality. Today, most of the vineyards have disappeared and the town's rabbit warren of cellars lie
abandoned. Fortunately, renewed interest in the Duero came after the creation of the Ribera del Duero DO, in 1982. There is still much planting to be done, but already the district is making great strides with quality and prestige.
Despite the publicity, Mauro has made the decision not to be part of the new DO. In order to achieve the standards they expect of themselves, they prefer to work without the restrictions involved. As for the brands created by Antinori in Italy, the name Mauro is establishing itself without the help of a local appellation. The intense, smooth, rich style of 100% Tinto Fino coupled with elegance, charm and polish put Mauro in a league of its own, and bottles grace the tables of the leading restaurants in Spain, the Prime Minister and the King.
