Bodegas y Viñedos Juan Manuel Burgos S.L. is a small winery located on the South-East area of Ribera del Duero, in the cute village of Fuentelcesped. The vineyards are spread in that area, in the very limit of Ribera, where 2 km south the vines are not able to grow anymore. 30 hectares of Tempranillo(Tinta del Pais) are the solid base of this project.

Juan Manuel Burgos(34) is the only owner and wine maker, his background on the world of wine comes back to his great grand father. 10 years ago Juan Manuel inherited some very interesting old vineyards, some of them pre philoxeric, some 60 & 80 years old, and at the same time started planting his own. The interesting point about the new plants is that he took the old sticks for the new plants so he has some old clons in his new plants and that can be noticed in his range of wines which are differntiated by the age of the vineyard. He made his first AVAN wines(vintage 2000) in one of the wineries he was working for, Cachopa. It was a very nice surprise for the specialized press and connosieurs and he instantly got very good articles and reviews in Spain and next year in the US and Europe.

For the vintage 2004 his own winery was finished and ready to improve even more his already demanded wines. The vintage 2005 produced a total of 60.000 bottles out of his 30 hectares; this can sound incredible but it is true. His policy on the vineyard is very strict regarding low yields. The soils show diversity within a common aspect, poor and high altitude soils. Clay and sand mix with limestone and rocky areas. The river Duero is at an average of 4 km north, and average altitude is 800m.

In the winemaking, he is minimalist and instinctive, every year something changes, but as he says:  “ The raw material is the same, so if you look for the best every time by different means you still get a very similar style and personality in the wines every vintage”.  Some of the best tonelleries from France are represented in the small space dedicated to the barrels. 90% French and 10% American. 20% 1 fill 80% new.

The project of Juan Manuel is to make around 90.000 bottles in total.

Juan Manuel also participates in two more projects: One in Albariño, Rias Baixas, which will appear in May 2007, & another wine from Ribera del Duero bottled in his winery called Fescenino. A young roble 2005 which will be released in May 2007 too.