Valduero 12 Años Takes Its Place Among the Elite
A symbol of unparalleled craftsmanship and excellence, Valduero 12 Años is produced only in exceptional vintages and is created entirely by hand—never touched by machinery. Its origins lie in the highest-altitude vineyards of Spain’s Ribera del Duero, cultivated with a steadfast commitment to natural farming methods. There are no chemicals, no irrigation—the Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are a pure reflection of their terroir.
“We are but a fleeting moment in the long history of this land, and our commitment is to protect it, allowing the earth to give us its finest,” explains Yolanda García Viadero, one of the founding sisters of this family-owned and family-managed winery. “Our ecological philosophy is not a trend, but a conviction.
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”Valduero is devoted to the preservation of human craftsmanship, and to ensure that tradition and skill are never replaced by automation, every grape cluster is meticulously selected by hand, with each berry destemmed manually. This dedication brings out the regal character of the Tinta Fina grape, transforming it into liquid gold.
The 21-year aging process is an art, carried out with the utmost precision. The wine matures in barrels of various woods before resting in bottles placed in Valduero’s underground cellars. This process evokes the age-old philosophy of allowing the wine to return to its origins—deep within the land that nurtured it.
The result is a handcrafted masterpiece, named one of the “7 Magnificent Wines of the World” at a blind tasting organized by Fine The Wine Magazine, a European publication focusing on fine wine, during its 2022 tasting in Wiesbaden, Germany. Discerning European collectors, known for stocking their cellars with some of the most coveted bottles on the planet, awarded Valduero 12 Años second place, just behind Château Haut-Brion.
More recently, Valduero 12 Años 2004, after receiving a near-perfect 99-point score from Wine Enthusiast, was honored as the only Spanish wine included in Robb Report’s prestigious Best of the Best list for 2024. This accolade firmly establishes Valduero 12 Años as one of the true legends of the wine world.
Valduero’s wines are in the private collections of global icons such as Nobel Prize–winning author Mario Vargas Llosa, soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo, and Oscar-winning composer Jorge Drexler.
Each bottle of this rare, artisanal wine is individually numbered, with production extremely limited. Encased in a handcrafted oak box, made from the barrels in which the wine matured, each bottle is a testament to luxury and tradition. This 20-year-old treasure astonishes with its youthful vibrancy and promises to age gracefully for another 15 years or more.
For those seeking to add a true gem to their collection and for exclusive access to other treasures from Bodegas Valduero, please contact valduerousa@bodegasvalduero.com.
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