Wine by the winery Divina Proporción

As King Alfonso IX of León said: "I have a bull (Toro) that gives me wine, and a lion (León) who drinks it". And it was this king who created the "Encomienda de la Virgen de la Vega", cultivation lands that supplied vineyards to the buoyant city of Toro, and that were located where we can currently find the facilities of Bodega Divina Proporción.

Located in an area classified as emerging, the winery Bodega Divina Proporción was created by Máximo San José de la Rosa, fulfilling a dream that is currently at its optimal stage, with great quality Toro wines that perfectly express the land, the climate and the Tinta de Toro grapes. Descendant of a family of farmers and catering business people in love with grapes and especially the vineyard. He began working in the catering industry and in his wine store in Toro, and that connection with the world of the wine led him to make the decision of producing his own wines.

To make this dream come true, Máximo has had the help of his family. Without their support and collaboration it would have been impossible to reach this point. Along with his brother Juan, they have cultivated the land, monitoring the vines and taking care of every detail of the winery. Meanwhile, Máximo's wife, Yovana Alonso, is in charge of administrative, commercial and public relations.

The real boom took place thanks to the high score given to them by Neil Martin, the winetaster of Robert Parker for Spain, which catapulted all his effort to promote the winery as a "revelation", entering by own merits the elite of D.O. Toro alongside renowned names such as Mauro, Liberalia or Numantia, among others. He has also earned the recognition at the Bacchus Awards with a silver medal, and in the World Contest of Brussels with a gold medal.


HISTORY OF THE WINERY

The winery was founded in 2009, and is located in Vega de Toro, opposite the chapel Ermita del Cristo de la Batallas, on the outskirts of Toro. It is surrounded by vineyards, just two kilometres from Fuentesauco, a village in Zamora. It has all the comforts of a new building for the production of wine. It is designed on the smaller side, and here, young oenologist Javi Manzano takes over the technical direction, while Máximo's brother, Juan Antonio San José, cultivates the land and takes care of the vineyards.

Bodega Divina Proporción has around 30 hectares of vineyard, of which 15 are owned and the rest are leased. Its 15 hectares are distributed in different plots in certain areas, such as Pago la Jara, the first land purchases by the winery in 2009, with vines that area over 30 years old, and planted on soils with a large amount of boulders, giving minerality to its wines. From this farm he makes the wine Madremía, the winery's most emblematic one. Another of the most important vineyards is the one in the area of Palo and Valdeví, one of the most mythical places of the denomination, with vines that range from 70 to 80 years old, planted on poor and sandy soils that offer fresher wines From this area they make Abracadabra, the winery's top wine. They also own five hectares of vineyard in the farm Pago de la Vega. Here they have aimed to rediscover the origins of viticulture in the area, since right now this area of intensive cultivation was full of vineyards and fruit trees. For its new vineyard, the winery has opted for training in espalier, with a high concentration of plants per hectare, making competition between them a good way to produce few grapes but of great quality.

The winery has an exemplary stock of 300 barrels of French and American oak. The first ones prevail for long ageing, with a renewal of one third every year. 


WORK PHILOSOPHY

Right now, the winery has a production of 120,000 kg of grape per vintage. All the grapes that enter the winery are treated with care, and transported on a conveyor belt to the fermentation deposit. The vinification is done without adding any type of enzyme or commercial yeast, with a fermentation between 10-15 days, and a wine extraction using a traditional press, which is not the fastest, but it is the one that best guarantees a clean and bright wine in a natural way.

Most part of the wines go through their malolactic fermentation in barrels. The fermentation and the ageing of the wines is also performed in French and American oak barrels. After the ageing, the wines go through a light filtration so as not to drag too many of the characteristics of the wine and give it clarity. They always bottle all the wine at a time, so that all the bottles are the same, without using batches. Natural cork is used for all their wines. They do not treat wines differently according to their price, they all are the result of hard work, reflecting the terroir and the tradition. Their only objective is to make good wines.  


WINES FROM DIVINA PROPORCIÓN 

Wines from Divina Proporción do not leave anyone indifferent. We will now present you with their wines:

Encomienda de la Vega is made with 100% Tinta de Toro vines of more than 20 years, and aged for 6 months in barrels. A wine of good aromatic intensity and a long aftertaste. It shows notes of red and black fruit, almost candied, hints of coconut, spices and light balsamics and empyreumatics (toasted). In the mouth it is dry, with adequate acidity, good constitution, tasty, with a long and somewhat secant finish thanks to the wood, but fruity and spicy. Good persistence.

24 Mozas is a wine that is made to commemorate the celebration, and the tradition, that pays tribute to the city of Toro and its folklore. It is made with Tinto Fino and ages for 6 months in American and French oak barrels. It offers marked fruity tones, with nuances of very ripe black fruits (blackberries), notes of coconut and hints of spices. In the mouth it is dry, with adequate acidity, well constituted, tasty with good texture, and a pleasant fruity finish. Light spices and with good persistence.

Madremía was the wine awarded with 92 points by critic Robert Parker. It is made from vines that are over 30 years old and it is aged for 9 months in barrels. On the nose, it is an explosion of red and blackcurrants along with to cherries, with subtle notes of cocoa and wild flowers. In the mouth it is easy to drink, unctuous and long, but with the character marked by a unique variety like Tinta de Toro. Nuances of ripe fruit in jam appear once again, lingering in the mouth.

Abracadabra is made with vines that are over 40 years old. It goes through malolactic fermentation in French and American oak barrels and continues to age for 14 months. It has aromas of toffee, cedar, coffee, wild blackberries, as well as undergrowth, lactic notes and candied plum. In the mouth it is powerful, unctuous, mineral, with nuances of cocoa and liqueur chocolates, with a long, persistent and harmonious finish.