The Wine Advocate | RP 96
Published: Dec 30, 2019

The eponymous 2016 Vivaltus was really impressive. I was already amazed at the unbottled sample, and the finished wine seems even better! It's a blend of Tempranillo with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, mostly from old vines. It fermented in stainless steel with neutral yeasts and aged for around 12 months in French barriques, 20% of them new. But there's no oak in the nose, which is ethereal and perfumed, elegant and nuanced, with notes of violets, wild berries and herbs. The palate shows ultra-refined tannins and comes through as beautifully textured, with a fine, chalky minerality, very good precision, clean and focused flavors and a long, tasty finish. This is really amazing. 16,000 bottles were filled in July 2018. 

Vivaltus is the new project in Ribera del Duero from the Yllera family. They purchase top-quality grapes from old vines and ferment and age the wines with the advice of Bordeaux guru Jean-Claude Berrouet. I have not yet seen any of the Vivaltus wines in the market. I tasted the bottled 2016s, but the bottles didn't have labels. I don't know when this will be released, and I already wrote about them (and was impressed) some 16 months ago. Vivaltus will soon be an important name in Ribera del Duero. Drink Date: 2020 - 2030

Vivaltus.es 

2016 - First vintage First winter months were dry and gently until February 2016 when the cold, frosts and snow arrived. Spring brought good raining with low temperatures, delaying the vine sprouting to mid April. Summer was dry and fresh, with lots of thermal variations between day and night (from 35ºC to 5ºC in some parcels) lowing PH, improving natural acidity and delaying ripening. Climate conditions in September and October were perfect and start harvest in perfect timing. Harvest started on September 29th.

VINEYARDS
FUENTENEBRO:
• Plenty of red clay in presence of decomposed granite.
• Height: Between 900 and 1000 meters above sea level.
• Vines between 80 and 100 years old.
• Balanced grapes with great natural acidity and amazing elegancy. 
LA AGUILERA:
• Sandy and calcareous-clay soils surrounded by pine woods.
• Height: 840 – 870 meter above sea level.
• Vines between 70 and 90 years old.
• Grapes that bring lots of elegance, freshness and fruitiness.

WINEMAKER’S NOTES
VivaltuS is a new interpretation of Ribera del Duero. A wine where you can find elegancy, freshness, finesse and complexity. Silky melted tannins and evolving texture followed by a long tasty finish. Our goal is to undress the wine from unnecessary artifices seeking the balance among fruit, oak and elegancy. A great representation of what we want to be in Ribera del Duero.

TECHNICAL DATA
Alcohol: 14,5 % Vol.
Acidity: 4,98 gr/l.
Residual sugar: 1,6 gr/l.
PH: 3,65