Bendito Destino

A sommelier goes to Ribera

This story begins with a brief digression. Terry Kandylis, a sommelier of Greek descent, who previously served as dining room manager at the restaurant “67 Pall Mall” and later worked for the London-based company Caprice Holdings, traveled to the Canary Islands during the pandemic to explore local wine projects. On the way, he stopped in Ribera del Duero. What he saw there completely changed his plans. The old vineyards in the vicinity of Peñafiel made a strong impression on him. In this region, no one was willing to pay a high price for grapes from old vines, and the winegrowers who tended them were getting older, resulting in many vineyards gradually being abandoned. Kandylis began buying up plots on his own, starting with 2.1 hectares. It was from that moment on that “Bendito Destino” began to take shape. When Kandylis isn't making wine in Spain, he continues to work at the London restaurant “Noble Rot” as group head sommelier. This fact alone gives an idea of the scale and philosophy of this project. It is a small project that places great emphasis on manual labor and is driven by one man’s conviction: “These vines are worth saving.”

Canalejas de Peñafiel, 925 metres up

The vineyards stretch across the countryside around Canalejas de Peñafiel at an elevation of 925 meters above sea level. This is the highest point in the province of Valladolid, and this elevation is significant. At this altitude, the growing season lasts longer, and nights are cool, allowing this region, known more for its freshness than its intensity, to retain its pronounced acidity.

The area of the “Bendito Destino” vineyards has expanded from an initial 2.1 hectares to the current approximately 8 hectares. All the vines are between 80 and 100 years old. Most of the plots consist of traditional “field blends,” where red and white varieties are planted together and harvested simultaneously in accordance with long-standing Castilian traditions. The exceptions are two plots: a single-varietal plot planted with Garnacha and a single-varietal plot planted with Albillo.

Altitude, sand, limestone

The soil varies depending on the vineyard. For example, at the Fuentesnorte vineyard, sandy soil lies over a limestone base, and this sandy soil spans several plots. When sandy soil lies on limestone, the wines are light and aromatic, characterized not by heavy tannins but by a refreshing minerality.

The combination of these soil characteristics and the elevation above sea level makes “Bendito Destino” wines completely distinct from typical Ribera del Duero wines. The rich flavor, strong oak aroma, and pronounced extractiveness typical of this region are subdued here, giving way to notes of red berries, spices, and a distinctive liveliness. Furthermore, the grapes themselves, grown on old, gnarled vines that are 80-90 years old and yield a small harvest, emphasize this flavor profile.

What's in the field blend

Mixed planting is practiced in the vineyards; that is, the term “blend” refers specifically to the varieties that were grown together in a given vineyard. Kandylis identified the following varieties across the entire estate: - Tempranillo (makes up the majority of the red wine) - Garnacha - Bobal (locally known as “Valenciano”) - Monastrell (rarely found in northern regions these days) - Albillo Mayor (a local white wine variety) - Jaén Blanco - Malvasía Riojana After harvest, the grapes for red and white wine are often fermented together. This is in keeping with the method according to which the vineyards were originally designed and managed.

Low-fi in the cellar

The winemaking process at “Bendito Destino” is deliberately kept to a minimum. Fermentation occurs naturally using only wild yeast. In the production of red wines, a significant proportion of whole berries (whole clusters) is used, which varies depending on the cuvée but typically ranges from 20 to 40 percent. Extraction is kept to a minimum, and the use of oak barrels is also limited.

In the production of some wines, a traditional method is used: after crushing, the grapes are pressed using a basket press. This method is suitable for low-yield grapes grown on old vines. For example, the “Albillo Mayor” wine is fermented in two rare barrels from François Frères after being trodden. No effort is made to give the wine more depth than the vineyard itself can provide.

The result is a Ribera del Duero wine that resembles a mountain wine more than a “heavyweight” from the Duero. It has a rich aroma, a mineral note, and the clarity characteristic of this region.

The range

"Bendito Destino" produces a small number of cuvées, including white wine, clarete (a light blended wine made from red and white grape varieties, traditional to Castile), red wine from a field blend, as well as several wines from specific vineyards.  - White wine from their own estate, “Albillo Mayor,” and a single-vineyard wine, “Albillo Mayor El Arenal” - “Clarete,” a light blended wine - “Cerbero” - “Tinto Field Blend” from the 2021 and 2022 vintages - “Amphora”: a wine fermented and aged in clay amphorae - "La Cecera": one of the single-vineyard red wines. Total production volume is quite small, which is to be expected for an 8-hectare vineyard where the vines are 80 to 100 years old.