# Ricardo Dumas Crianza (2020)

- **Producer:** Bodega Virgen de la Asunción
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Tempranillo
- **Region:** Castilla y León, Spain
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €15
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 14–16 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** blackberry, strawberry, plum, liquorice, vanilla, cloves, coconut, chocolate, toast, leather, cinnamon

## About this wine

Bodega Virgen de la Asunción, founded in 1957 by 70 local families in La Horra, Burgos, is a pioneering cooperative and one of the twelve founding members of the D.O. Ribera del Duero in 1982. The estate leverages ancient winemaking traditions in a village with underground cellars dating back to the 12th century. Operating under the philosophy that great wine starts in the vineyard, they focus on low-yielding, old bush-trained vines (up to 50 years old) grown at high altitudes of 800 to 850 meters. This unique terroir, characterized by an extreme continental climate and clay-sandy soils, yields grapes of exceptional concentration and character.

## Interesting facts

- Bodega Virgen de la Asunción was one of only 12 founding wineries that established the D.O. Ribera del Duero regulatory council in 1982.
- The wine is sourced from high-altitude vineyards at 800-850 meters, featuring old bush vines up to 50 years old.
- The winery is located in La Horra, a historic village famous for underground cellars dating back to the 12th century.

## Food pairing

This robust, structured Crianza pairs exceptionally well with rich, fatty meats and savory dishes. The wine's high acidity and firm tannins cut through the fat of roasted lamb and ribeye, while its intense fruit and oak-derived spices complement the earthy notes of wild mushrooms and aged cheeses.

## Wine making process

The grapes are hand-harvested from old vines and undergo temperature-controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks at 25°C to 27°C for approximately 8 days. This is followed by an extended post-fermentation maceration on the skins for 15 to 16 days to extract deep color and structured tannins. After natural malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged for a minimum of 12 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels (225-liter and 500-liter). It then undergoes an additional 12 months of bottle aging in the cellar for refinement before commercial release.