Valderiz stands out among the wineries that were created by growers in Ribera del Duero in the 1990s. Until then, these farmers used to sell their grapes to other producers in the region. Most of the Valderiz vineyards were planted by Tomás Esteban in the 1980s, but the family also retains some of his father’s impressive old plots.

The third generation, led by Juan and Ricardo, continued the work and now manage 100 hectares in the villages of Roa, where the winery is based, Anguix, Olmedillo and La Cueva de Roa, all of them in Burgos province. The family is experimenting with new training systems combining goblet and trellised vines in their new plantings and has also focused efforts on Albillo Mayor, the indigenous white variety that used to play a small, yet essential role in red wines. All vineyards are organically farmed and the wines display the certification on their labels.

The Esteban family bottled their first wine in the 1997 vintage. They benefited from the guidance of renowned winemaker Telmo Rodríguez, who made his own ribera del duero wine at the Valderiz winery in Roa and showed them the ropes of the wine business. Since 2005, Isaac Fernández is their leading advisor.

With around 85,000 bottles a year, Valderiz (€20 in Spain) is the estate's flagship red. Grapes are sourced from some of the family's finest plots, which are vinified separately in concrete tanks and aged in American and French oak barrels after a painstaking selection of cooperages and toast levels. Thanks to its good cellaring potential, this wine is perfect to assess vintage variations in the area.

Below stands the entry-level red Valderiz de Valdehermoso (€9, nine months in barrel), and Valderiz de Chiripa (€14.5, 25,000 bottles), a fun, energetic Tempranillo sourced from La Guindalera vineyard. It is fermented in concrete tanks and aged in concrete, foudre and lightly toasted barrels.

Among the premium wines, Juegalobos (13,000 bottles, €30) is a single-vineyard red named after the eponymous plot. It was planted in 1988 on gravel and clay soils. The gravel on the topsoil is 1.5-metre deep and ensures optimal ripening whereas the layer of clay below provides the freshness and water that the vines need. Finally, grapes for the top red Tomas Estebán are sourced from the family's oldest vineyard planted by the grandfather. Fermentation takes place in wooden vats and the wine is aged in French oak barrels. At Valderiz, wines are made with indigenous yeasts.

The wines can be bought at the winery’s online store .