Great wine begins in the vineyard
At Dominio Romano, we strive to blend the best of the past with the most innovative practices of the present when crafting our organic wines. Our passion for winemaking and respect for tradition guides us at every step of the process, from the vineyard to the bottle, to offer wines that truly reflect the uniqueness of Ribera del Duero.
Our aim is to produce wines that reflect the climatic conditions and terroir on which the Tinto Fino vines grow, prioritizing the variety and soil in our wines.
Organic farming, biodynamic practices, respectful pruning, and the care and passion we put into tending our vineyards are among our greatest assets, as well as those of the other viticulturist friends in the region who trust us to process the grapes they cultivate with such great effort.
The biodiversity gradually developing in the subsoil due to organic practices allows the vine roots to absorb the soil’s mineral components more effectively, impacting the wine’s character.
A careful manual harvest in small 15 kg crates ensures that the grapes reach the winery in optimal quality conditions for further processing.
Gentle fermentation
Before processing the grapes, we let them cool in refrigerated chambers at 4 degrees Celsius to reduce potential oxidation and perform a small cold pre-fermentation maceration prior to the fermentation process. After passing through our sorting table, the grapes fall by gravity into the various types of tanks where fermentation takes place: clay amphorae, open 400-liter barrels, and stainless steel tanks of various sizes. Gravity plays a fundamental role in our winemaking process, even after pressing, the grapes do not pass through any pumps, and the extraction process is carried out exclusively by délestage and pigeage. This care for the integrity of the grape allows for a very high percentage of whole grapes in our fermentations that have not been crushed, providing a high fruit load in the resulting wines.
Innovation in winemaking
However, at Dominio Romano, we do not settle for following traditional steps. We strive to break molds and explore new frontiers in winemaking. For us, the main protagonist in wine should be the character of the variety and the terroir, not the barrel. For this reason, from the beginning of the project, we only use 400-liter oak barrels. These larger oak barrels allow for the gradual contribution of wood to the wine, thus preserving the characteristic fruit of the Tinto Fino and avoiding the dominance of the wood flavor in the sensory experience. Over the years, we have incorporated clay amphorae and demijohns for aging some of our wines, which greatly helps us achieve this fruity character that is so important to us.
Minimal intervention: Respecting Nature and the Process
Minimal intervention in the making of organic wines is a philosophy that embraces respect for nature and winemaking processes. In essence, it involves interfering as little as possible in the natural cycle of the vine and wine, allowing the grape and its environment to express their true character.
Minimal intervention means letting nature take its course in the vineyard and winery. This entails foregoing the use of synthetic chemicals, pesticides, and herbicides, and adopting sustainable agricultural practices that respect the ecosystem’s balance. In the winery, it means minimizing oenological manipulations and using gentle and respectful methods to preserve the authenticity of the wines.
For us, minimal intervention represents a commitment to quality, purity, and authenticity.
By allowing the grape to express itself without interference, the resulting wines faithfully reflect the terroir, climate, and unique characteristics of the place where they were grown. It represents a return to traditional winemaking methods, where the winemaker acts more as a guide than a manipulator, allowing the essence of the wine to shine on its own.
At Dominio Romano, minimal intervention translates into low doses of sulfur, avoiding the use of oenological products that mask the product (tannins, enzymes, clarifiers), or open filtration to avoid stripping the wines too much. We are also among the pioneers in Ribera del Duero in making natural wine without added sulfites, seeking simplicity and authenticity. For us, it is a commitment to health, sustainability, and respect for nature that is reflected in every sip of wine produced under this approach.
The winemaker
Behind each bottle of Dominio Romano, there is a mark that imprints a unique and profound personality. Jordi, the winemaker of the winery, has been instrumental in the development of our winemaking vision. With vast experience in winemaking in renowned wine regions such as Priorat, Jordi brings his passion and knowledge to create wines that make history in Ribera del Duero. A good winemaker is not one who knows more on the technical level and tries to impose his style on the climate, variety, and terroir, but one who strives to learn and read the potential of the area and acts accordingly to enhance its qualities. This is the process we have followed at Dominio Romano, taking a lesson from each harvest that helps us improve in the next and finally brings us closer to the ideal wine that the area is capable of giving us.
