Antidoto Ribera del Duero Cepas Viejas
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Over the past quarter century, Ribera del Duero has become arguably the most successful wine region of Spain. Yet, some of its finest wines are yet to be made. The reason is simple: many of the best terroirs and oldest vines are in the remote eastern part of the region-the province of Soria-which is still largely unexplored by today's winemakers. In fact, if it weren't for a young French winemaker, Bertrand Sourdais, Soria might still be unknown. Bertrand first brought Soria to light with his pioneering wines at Atauta, a village within the province. But when Atauta was sold in 2009 during Spain's economic downturn, his gaze shifted to his family's Chinon estate in France's Loire Valley. Yet the pull of Soria remained strong and he soon returned to the region to make a new wine which-like all of his work at Atauta-would be full of the soul of ancient-vine Tinto Fino. Bertrand recruited his old maitre de chai from Atauta, David Hernando, to partner in his new venture. And so, Antidoto was born. As at Atauta, his goal is to capture the essence of this singular region. And he will do so by sourcing from the best vineyard sites-many of which date from the time before Phylloxera-and by ultimately managing the viticulture himself. Wherever possible, he will employ organic and, when possible, biodynamic methods. As for Antidoto's intriguing name-Spanish for "antidote"-it has a particular meaning for Bertrand in the wake of Atauta's sale. But the wine also serves as an antidote to the many Ribera de Duero wines that substitute heavy-handed winemaking for a sense of place and variety. And at a relatively modest price point, it is surely an antidote to high wine prices in the appellation.