Located in Coruña del Conde (Burgos), just outside the boundaries of the DO Ribera and north of the Duero River, the estate takes its name from Clunia Sulpicia. This ancient Roman city, located in nearby Alto de Castro, on the northern road that connected Tarragona and Astorga, played a key role in the Romanisation of northern Spain. Remains of the forum, shops, houses and the ancient amphitheatre have been preserved.
This high elevation area, near Soria province, lies between 900 and 1,000 metres above sea level. The significant temperature variations, up to 20-22ºC between day and night, mean that the grapes ripen well and retain their acidity and aromas thanks to the cool night temperatures. The 2023 harvest was the earliest so far -the grapes were picked after El Pilar festivity (12 October). In 2008, one of the coolest vintages, the harvest took place in November.
Clunia has 30 hectares of vineyards, most of which were planted in the late 1990s. The most successful varieties are the local Tempranillo and Albillo and the international Syrah and Malbec. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc vineyards were regrafted as they struggled to ripen. The sites are carefully chosen to avoid frost (the main risk in this area) and to harvest fully ripe grapes, as temperatures can vary up to two degrees from one site to another. The highest vineyards are reserved for the red Malbec and the white Albillo.
All the plants are trellised and dry-farmed. Harvesting is done by hand. The climate and terrain naturally moderate yields, which range from 3,000 to 5,000 kg/ha. The low temperatures during flowering often result in coulure while the clusters of Tempranillo and Syrah in this area are typically small.
Clay-sandy soils dominate. Red clay is the norm, although some whitish clay can be found in the area. Some vineyards have a high proportion of limestone rocks. Clay plays an important role in retaining moisture.
The winery is designed to produce 100,000 bottles but is currently operating at half capacity. The portfolio focuses on premium varietal wines and styles are influenced by the area's elevation. In general, the wines combine ripe aromas with tension, well-defined flavours, acidity on the palate and a crisper feel than the standard in neighbouring Ribera del Duero. Some of these are single-vineyard wines.
The inexpensive Clunia Syrah (around 25,000 bottles, €15 in Spain) is the most widely available wine in the portfolio. There are two Tempranillos. While Clunia (€15) is sourced from grapes grown on Finca El Gerbal and aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, Finca El Rincón (between 3,500 and 5,000 bottles, €40), aged for 18 months, is the estate's top red. The grapes come from a limestone-rich plot that imparts depth and minerality. The powerful, almost explosive Clunia Malbec (around 10,000 bottles, €25) offers an interesting expression of this variety, which is widely planted in Argentina at similar elevations. Clunia Pinot Noir (under 2,000 bottles, €21) completes the range of reds.
Since the 2017 vintage, there is a white Albillo ( 5,000 to 10,000 bottles, €15) that clearly benefits from the area's high elevation. It is aged for five months in 500-litre oak casks. The barrels are periodically rolled to cause a soft bâtonnage, which adds some volume but preserves the acidity. The grapes are grown at 1000m above sea level, on the outskirts of Soria, on whitish clay soils rich in calcium carbonate. The wine often has sapid and saline notes.
Clunia is part of the Príncipe de Viana group, which also owns the eponymous winery in Navarra, plus Albret, also in Navarra, and Rioja Vega in Rioja. Chilean winemaker Pablo Pávez is responsible for the wines.
