Áurea Minerva 2021
Elegant Tempranillo from the 'terroir' of the riverside winery CVNE
Áurea Minerva 2021 is a sublime single-varietal wine made from tinta del país (tempranillo) grapes, sourced from the Las Casqueras plot, an impressive 50-year-old bush-trained vineyard located at 985 meters above sea level, on calcareous and sandy clay soils, just a few meters from the Geodetic Point of Peñaranda (Burgos). Bodega Bela produces this red wine with 12 months of aging as a tribute to the third daughter of CVNE's founder, Eusebio Real de Asúa. Balanced, fresh, and pleasant, Áurea Minerva is a red wine full of finesse that also belongs to a vintage rated as Excellent by the Ribera del Duero Regulatory Council.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
100% Tempranillo
Type of barrel
French oak barrels of 390 liters
Type of bottle
Burgundy Bottle
Barrel aging time
12 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Bottling
12/2022
Total acidity (g/l)
3.61
Volatile acidity (g/l)
0.60
pH
3.61
Alcohol content (% vol.)
14
Creators' opinion
La campaña 2021 ha sido una añada en la que las condiciones climáticas durante todo el ciclo de la vid fueron excepcionales. Se mantuvieron temperaturas bajas hasta finales abril donde la brotación fue tardía, así como periodos de lluvia en momentos clave, sobre todo a principios del mes de septiembre. Estas condiciones permitieron que la maduración final de las uvas fuera homogénea. Las temperaturas durante el período de vendimia dieron lugar a un vino sano, con estructura, buen equilibro entre alcohol y acidez, resultando excelente para su crianza en barrica sin perder la frescura y la impronta de la variedad pero sobre todo del viñedo y del clima de la campaña 2021. La recogida de la uva transcurrió tranquila y escalonadamente pudiendo realizar una buena selección de la uva tanto en campo como en bodega. Las uvas para la elaboración de Aurea Minerva fueron recogidas manualmente los días 8 y 9 de octubre.
The winery
In 2017, the Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España (CVNE) fulfilled the desire to honor the founders of the winery from 1879 by launching the Bodega Bela project in one of the most sought-after areas of the Ribera del Duero Denomination of Origin. This winemaking house, far from its native Rioja, began with an exceptional viticultural heritage of 82 hectares of vineyards, mostly of the tinta del país or tempranillo variety, spread across the Villalba de Duero and Moradillo de Roa regions. Two very distinct areas that contribute complementary attributes to the wines: more structure in Moradillo de Roa and more freshness in Villalba de Duero. A venture that was forged after more than a decade of acquiring these coveted vineyards.
Bela was the affectionate nickname given to Sofía, the daughter of CVNE co-founder Eusebio Real de Asúa, and the great-grandmother of the current leaders of the company. It is a cutting-edge winery with a surface area of 6,000 m² and a large barrel room with a capacity for 10,000 casks.
In 2024, it became one of the highlights of the Spanish wine world when the prestigious publication Wine Spectator selected Bela Crianza 2021 as the only Ribera del Duero wine in its Top 100.
In recent years, Bodega Bela has embarked on its adventure in the neighboring D.O. Rueda, where it is producing verdejo whites that are sure to make waves.