Áurea Minerva 2022 is a 100% Tempranillo grown in Las Casqueras, a vineyard over 50 years old, cultivated at almost 1000 metres above sea level, in the municipality of Peñaranda de Duero, in the Burgos Ribera region. This vintage has become a true critical success, having received 95 points from James Suckling, 94 from Vinous (Antonio Galloni) and 93 from The Wine Advocate, by Robert Parker, among others.
Áurea Minerva 2022 is a wine that champions the grandeur of parcel-origin reds found at the cooler ends of the D.O. Ribera del Duero. It comes from Las Casqueras, a singular vine planted at almost 1000 metres in Peñaranda, an enclave where altitude and calcareous soils masterfully balance the ripeness of a warm vintage like 2022. Its name pays tribute to Áurea Minerva, daughter of Eusebio Real de Asúa, founder of CVNE, and honours a historic label from 1910 that today is revived in one of the region’s most limited productions.
Áurea Minerva 2022 arises from a site that challenges the standards of the D.O. Ribera del Duero: Las Casqueras, a vineyard over 50 years old with extremely low yields and a freshness that is only achieved in such elevated zones. This harvest of Áurea Minerva arrives backed by an exceptional collection of recognitions: 95 points from James Suckling, 94 from Vinous (Antonio Galloni) and 93 from The Wine Advocate, by Robert Parker, among others. Its limited production – barely 3000 bottles – and its potential to evolve make it a unique opportunity to enjoy now or keep for a few more years. Áurea Minerva 2022 will pair perfectly with pigs’ trotters stuffed with mushrooms or veal cheeks braised in red wine.
The CVNE Group began its venture in the D.O. Ribera del Duero in 2002 with the aim of transferring the elegance that characterises its Rioja wines to this prestigious region. Thus was born Bodegas Bela, whose name pays homage to the founder's descendants, represented on its label by three stars.
Pairing
Its broad, fleshy palate calls for dishes with depth and juiciness. Áurea Minerva 2022 pairs very well with pork trotters stuffed with mushrooms, braised beef cheeks in red wine, or a roast lamb with panadera potatoes. It also pairs nicely with sautéed mushrooms and a mature cheese, where its structure and freshness enhance every bite.
Serving temperature
Consumption time
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
100% tempranillo
Type of barrel
French oak barrels.
Type of bottle
Bordeaux Bottle
Barrel aging time
12 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Alcohol content (% vol.)
14
Aging
Áurea Minerva 2022 was aged for 12 months in French oak barrels before hitting the market.
Bottling
Description
Áurea Minerva 2022 comes from Las Casqueras, a vineyard of over 50 years planted in Peñaranda de Duero, in the Ribera burgalesa region, at almost 1000 metres above sea level. Its calcareous soils and the high altitude provide freshness and help balance the ripeness of a warm vintage, while its very low yields reinforce the singular character of this plot. It is made with Tempranillo, a variety that expresses here the full personality of a single-vineyard plot located in one of the fresher enclaves of the D.O. Ribera del Duero.
Age
Made from Tempranillo vines from an old vineyard, aged over 50 years.
Climate
While many Ribera del Duero reds seek more hours of heat to ripen, Las Casqueras sits at the cooler end of the denomination, at almost 1,000 metres above sea level in Peñaranda de Duero. That altitude, together with the calcareous soils, brings freshness and helps balance ripeness in a warm vintage like 2022, resulting in a vineyard with a more restrained and precise character.
Viticulture
The freshness of Áurea Minerva 2022 arises from Tempranillo grown in Las Casqueras, a plot of over 50 years situated at almost 1,000 metres in altitude. The plot works with extremely low yields and calcareous soils, seeking a natural balance between ripeness and acidity in a warm vintage. It is viticulture with a strong respect for the terroir, linked to the plot’s character and to a traditional farming approach adapted to an extreme environment.
View
Beautiful cherry-red colour with an intense garnet edge, exhibiting high colour intensity.
Nose
On the nose it is fragrant and complex, with early notes of spice and cocoa. Later, memories of black fruit such as sloes and blackberries merge, giving way to notes of undergrowth and balsamic nuances.
Mouth
On the palate it is broad, full-bodied and with a magnificent structure that maintains a perfect balance with a splendid acidity. A great wine with a bright future.
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.
