Mauro Baynos Blanco de Viura

Just south of Alava, in the Basque Country, is Baños de Ebro, a very small town of barely 300 inhabitants, where wine has always been of fundamental importance. According to data collected on the website of the Ca. Rioja DO, 80% of the population is engaged in agricultural activity, mostly in the cultivation of vines. At present, the town has 14 wineries. One of them is Mauro, the well-known winery from Ribera del Duero, who is moving here with its new project, Baynos.

In Latin, Baynos embodies the fourth project of this family company. However, on this occasion, from Bodegas Mauro, the García family could not miss the uniqueness of its location – right next to the Sierra Cantábrica (to the north) and the Ebro (to the south) – where one of the most interesting vineyards of La Rioja Alavesa is located. Specifically, the land is divided into small plots and smallholdings of old goblet-trained vineyards where viura, tempranillo and graciano are grown. Here, on poor soils where clay and lime are mixed, Bodegas Mauro is in charge of eight hectares, always with biodynamic practices, where the work is done manually and traditionally (in any case with the help of an animal). In principle, Bodegas Mauro is not looking for any type of certification, even so they are committed to this type of winemaking, simply with the intention of achieving the best version of Mauro Baynos Blanco de Viura.

This first stage in the field will be decisive. This is where all efforts will be focussed until September, when the grapes are harvested (also by hand); and once all the bunches have been harvested, it is time to work in the cellar. In the case of Bodegas Mauro, the heart of its Baynos project will be in the traditional house that the García family has bought in the village itself, where under the three floors that have been renovated, there is also a network of underground tunnels (some dating back to medieval times). This is where​Mauro Baynos Blanco de Viura ferments, with native yeasts in wooden barrels. This material will be fundamental during the production of Mauro Baynos Blanco de Viura, as this wine will be aged in it (for at least 20 months). The wine will be gravity-fed at all times.

These passages and mazes are not the only historical testimony of Baños de Ebro. Three Roman tombstones with inscriptions and drawings have also been found in the village, which allow us to establish the origins of this enclave in antiquity. Be that as it may, regardless of its size, Baños de Ebro exudes history in every corner. We invite you to try a sip of it with Mauro Baynos Blanco de Viura: the best wine for tasting and savouring history.