The starting point of this family winery from La Horra (Burgos) were the 1,000 plants given to José María García and Milagros Figuero when they got married in 1961 and to which they progressively added new vineyards.
Many locals left the village in the 1960s looking for a better life in the city, but the couple stayed and carried on tending their vines. They were members of the cooperative until 1968, when they started selling their grapes to private producers like Vega Sicilia in the earlier days and later to Pesquera, Protos or Carraovejas. When the second generation joined the business, they made their debut as winemakers in the 2001 vintage. Their children Carlos, Henar and Antonio as well as their respective partners, Esther, Felipe and Pilar, are all involved in the winery. And the third generation, namely Cristina, Henar and Felipe's daughter, is also on board.
La Horra (Burgos) is one of Ribera del Duero's most celebrated villages. Its distinctive combination of elegance and concentration is at the heart of some of the most expensive and sought-after wines in the region. The various microclimates and the wealth of old vineyards are key factors in this regard. In fact, Tinto Figuero's most precious asset are 50 plots with vines exceeding 60 years of age. Most of them are owned by the family and are scattered across different areas with the oldest planted between 1910 and 1925.
La Horra was an active site after phylloxera thanks to the work of Brother Martín Dumas, a priest of the Holy Family Order who settled in the village at the beginning of the 20th century. Having travelled from France, he was well aware of the devastation caused by the plague, as well as the appropriate remedy. He therefore established a plant nursery with American rootstock in order to graft and replant the vineyards that had been destroyed by the insect.
Today Figuero manages 180 hectares consisting of their own vineyards, rented plots and purveyors’ contracts to produce around 600,000 bottles per year. All the work is done in the same way and winegrowers are given advice and the required treatments to tend their vineyards. Organic certification is currently underway. French winemaker Jean François Hebrard has been consulting since 2010. Among other issues, he has encouraged the use of indigenous yeasts.
Only Tempranillo reds are produced. This is why Figuero often presents their range as an example of all the diversity that this grape variety can achieve in La Horra. The core of the range is made up of the classic ageing categories -Roble, Crianza and Reserva- which feature the months of ageing prominently on the label. Figuero 4 Meses (€9.50 in Spain, 70% French oak) is a good, fruit-driven entry-level red with a touch of the dark, chocolate-like fruit quality that distinguishes the red wines of La Horra. Figuero 12 Meses (€17) is deeper and spicier, whereas Figuero 15 Meses (€27) is made from vines over 60 years old yielding one kg per vine.
Specific areas are bottled in wines that do away with the traditional ageing indicatives. Figuero Viñas Viejas, which comes from vines over 60 years of age and has similar oak ageing times and retail price as the Reserva, reflects the terroir of the western part of the village. It is one of the most interesting reds in the portfolio thanks to its round, almost spherical palate. Milagros (€40) is a tribute to the founder. It was fist made in the 2010 vintage from north-facing vines planted in the southern part of the village and is aged in 500-litre barrels. The two top reds are Noble (€75), a really different Tempranillo sourced from Torrosillo, a plot with high limestone content (20%) with distinctive tension and acidity; and Tinus (€225), which comes from a selection of Malasmañanas (literaly "bad mornings") and Acos, two of the family's oldest vineyards -both are close to 90 years old.
The winery is open to visitors but booking in advance is recommended. The tour and tastings are conducted by family members.