Bodegas Mauro

History

Bodegas Mauro began in 1980 when Mariano García founded the company with two partners and named it in honor of his father. He was by no means a newcomer to the industry. García had been making wine in the region since the 1960s and had long served as a winemaker at Vega Sicilia, the most famous winery in Ribera del Duero, so Mauro was founded not on a business plan but on decades of local knowledge.

Initial operations took place in a 17th-century stone building on the outskirts of Tudela de Duero. Ribera del Duero was officially designated as a DO (Denomination of Origin) in 1982; however, due to the way the boundaries were drawn, this winery's vineyards remained outside those boundaries. Consequently, even though these wines share the same history as Duero Valley in every other respect, they came to be labeled as Vino de la Tierra de Castilla and León.

By the mid-1990s, these wines had become beloved worldwide. In 2004, a new gravity-fed winery opened, built according to García's vision for cellar operations, spacious, well-lit workspaces. In 1997, San Román Bodegas and Viñedos opened alongside Toro DO, and in 2014, Garmón Continental, an exclusive Ribera del Duero project, was launched. Eduardo and Alberto, García's sons, have been involved in winemaking, and these three wineries are not a single house style expanded across three locations, but different  interpretations based on what the Duero Valley gives.

Ninety hectares of old bush vines

Bodegas Mauro cultivates approximately 90 hectares of vineyards, and the average age of the vines is about 35 years. Most of the vineyards are located near Tudela de Duero, in the Castilla y León district of Duero Valley, just outside the village.

The vines are cultivated using the traditional low, free-standing method typical of this region, yielding 3,000 to 5,000 kilograms of grapes per hectare. This is a low level by any standard and is the result of a deliberate choice.

One area in particular is attracting significant attention. Cueva Baja, where multiple soil types and varying elevations coexist within a single location: it is the origin of the famous Terreus. Harvesting elsewhere on the estate is carried out systematically by plot, an approach that is only possible when each plot is managed individually.

The terroir

The soil here is calcareous clay, which is light and well-drained, making it easy to cultivate. Since water does not pool but drains immediately, it is well-suited for old grapevines with deep roots and allows for low yields to be maintained without significant intervention.

The variations in elevation and soil composition within Cueva Baja is what Bodegas Mauro emphasizes. Since there is variation in depth and aspect even within a single area, the wine develops richer layers; this is why Bodegas Mauro separates grapes to produce a single-vineyard red wine in stead of a blend of the entire vineyard region.

The grapes

Tempranillo plays a major role in Bodegas Mauro, but it does not handle everything on its own, and the components that support it differ from those used in most areas near Ribera del Duero.

• Tempranillo serves as the main component, typically accounting for about 85% of the Mauro blend.
• Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Graciano make up the remainder, typically accounting for 15-20% depending on the vintage.
• Godello is sourced from Villafranca del Bierzo and is used in this winery's white wines.

The exact proportions vary from year to year. While blending Syrah into Duero red wine is still met with some skepticism, it has long been an established part of the winery's house recipe.

Winemaking

The harvest at the Tudela de Duero Vineyard typically begins in mid-September; rather than starting on a uniform date, it proceeds sequentially by plot based on the ripeness of each plot. All grapes are harvested by hand.

The grapes are transported in 13-kg boxes, which are small enough to prevent the grapes at the bottom from being crushed by those on top. Upon arrival at Bodegas Mauro, the grapes are transferred to a pre-processing cooling room; the winery explains that this allows for a cleaner and more aromatic extraction later on. The 2004 winery relies entirely on gravity, so there is no pumping of grape juice.

Aging takes place in French oak barrels, divided between standard barrels and foudres. Foudres are much larger oak vessels that allow for slower, gentler oxygen exchange and result in less pronounced woody aromas. For Mauro bottling, the aging period is approximately 16 months. The alcohol content is typically around 14.5%, which is a common figure for well-ripened Duero Tempranillo.

The range, from Tinto to Terreus

Bodegas Mauro produces between 300,000 and 350,000 bottles annually. Of this total, approximately 60% remains in Spain, while the rest is exported to some 60 countries.

Mauro Tinto is the winery's flagship and benchmark wine, embodying its history. Mauro VS is a tier above, made from grapes selected from the finest vineyards, resulting in a wine with greater complexity and exceptional aging potential. Terreus is a single-vineyard wine produced from Cueva Baja; rather than blending grapes from multiple plots, it is made based on its unique character, intensity, and depth.

In addition to red wines, Bodegas Mauro also produces Mauro Godello, a white wine made from Godello grapes grown in the Villafranca del Bierzo vineyard, which is quite distinct from Duero Valley.