A breakaway with 93 Parker points
You arrive at this hotel in Peñafiel attracted by its enclave (an old 17th century monastery) and for being one of the best alternatives for spending the night in a town that little by little consolidates itself as a wine tourism destination . It is not and was not a simple project because the tourist (largely national) arrives, is dazzled by Protos, visits the Plaza del Coso, goes up to the castle and leaves. Nothing to stay to sleep. But nothing happens, the careful menu of its letter and the fact that the restaurant occupies the old chapel of the convent rise as irrefutable and irrefutable arguments for cross its fat walls and start sinning (oh, gluttony) in good company.
And in this 'sacred' place, in the middle of a table, the idea of creating a winery arose. On the tablecloth floated the realization that no winery in the surrounding area is aimed at the most demanding wine tourism , that what they teach is the same as all of them, that, after all, a barrel is a barrel here and in Beijing. Not even the so-called signature wineries pay a shred of attention to wine. Among the guests were the hotel manager, Fernando Aguilera, and the renowned winemaker José Carlos Álvarez (responsible for the success of Emilio Moro and Cepa 21).
Between them they gradually unraveled the problems of this D.O. and how difficult it was for the establishment to find a winery committed to wine tourism that had no qualms about showing itself as it is. Thus, on an afternoon in 2010, the new invention arose that would collect its first Tempranillo grapes in 2011 with the homonymous name and with the ambitious intention of being the cellar of a hotel and contradicting everyone. After all, being the vice versa of wine tourism: accommodation first, then the barrels and the harvest but always (because it is the destiny of this land and it is inevitable) THE WINE. And with these precedents begins a visit by the winemaker who, although it threatens to be very technical, ends up spreading an almost vampiric passion for wine.
The hotel and winery Convento Las Claras
The winery physically (the vineyards are scattered throughout the D.O.) is located in Curiel, just below its iconic castle. Along the way, José Carlos Álvarez talks about the reason for this adventure in these times: “Crises make each step that must be taken safer, carefully thought out, they teach us not to make mistakes. In the next 5 years, when the economic situation stabilizes, we can be satisfied with the work done.” He is confident about the future, protected by a denomination of origin in which, from his point of view, “there is still a lot to do”.
The facility is just a ship, but this passionate guide wraps it all up . There is also some curiosity on the part of the visitor to know how in such a short time the results are being so meteoric. The boxes of the first oak of his flew from the warehouses and the famous critic Robert Parker gave them 93 points deservedly . But José Carlos downplays this fact: “We do not make wines for critics, we make wines that we like and that our customers also like, we are more interested in satisfaction than in scoring. Usually the best-selling wines are not the ones with the highest scores, achieving both is a satisfaction”.
In addition to the guarantee and how striking it is to know how a wine is made with such success the first time, José Carlos Álvarez brings a distinctive touch to his visits. He quickly dresses up as a teacher showing different murals that he has displayed on the beams that support the barrel room. In each of them, the geological differences of each zone of the D.O. and what each contributes to the final result. He is not afraid to confess his secrets (“There are no secrets, there is work methodology and above all viticulture”) and that is why he explains truths about the soils of this region and about what each terrain contributes to the grape. He uses a pipette to test, so that the wine that is being cured in the barrel adds a little flavor to the theory. The glass speaks of the high moors and the alluvial sedimentary soil, responsible for so many aromas and so much personality. In the bottle, the result does justice to expectations.
The masterclass continues in the open air, chatting about the medieval past of Curiel del Duero under the arch of the Magdalena gate. If it's a good day, the castle becomes the best spot where José Carlos shines recounting the geological origin of the Duero basin and dissecting his theory of why good whites would come out here. For the visitor, returning to school in this way is a joy. You learn by really playing, understanding that there is no more mystery than work and knowledge. And, above all, feeling as if you were in Picasso's studio at Bateau-Lavoir, taking part in something historical, even legendary. Although in the end you learn that success in viticulture and in life is to do it with PASSION.
First the hotel came, then the wine