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Buy Wine from Quinta Sardonia
On the border between Castile and León and La Mancha, right on the western edge of the Ribera del Duero appellation -but outside its strict boundaries- sits Quinta Sardonia, a winemaking project that from the very beginning set out to challenge the conventions of Castilian wine. Founded in 1998 under the visionary eye of Peter Sisseck, the same Danish winemaker who years earlier revolutionised the region with Dominio de Pingus, this winery opted for a completely different model: to cultivate wine in harmony with biodiversity, altitude and respect for the soil, without relying on official labels to validate itself.
An estate with height (literally and enologically)
Quinta Sardonia is located in the Duero Valley, but a few metres beyond the D.O. This has been more of a blessing than a limitation. It has allowed them to work with unusual oenological freedom, avoiding restrictive regulations in order to experiment with French varieties, biodynamic practices and complex blends. The estate is spread over 20 hectares of terraced vineyards, located between 760 and 863 metres above sea level, with north and west-facing slopes, giving the vineyard constant ventilation and moderate sun exposure. Here the Duero is not just a geographical feature, but an essential thermal regulator, which together with the westerly wind brings coolness even in the harshest summers.
Lively soils, wines with character
The soil is a mosaic. Active limestone, marl, red clay and pebbles, interspersed in millennia-old layers that force the roots of the vines to dig deep in search of nutrients. Each plot is vinified separately, respecting the personality of the terroir, with an almost surgical approach. The influence of biodynamic thinking is not cosmetic: it is governed by the lunar calendars, homeopathic preparations are applied to the vineyard and all synthetic chemical intervention is avoided. The vineyard is understood as a living organism where every plant, every insect and every fungus has its function.
The flagship wine and how they make it
The winery's flagship wine, Quinta Sardonia, is not confined to a single variety. It is a sophisticated assemblage in which Tempranillo (Tinta Fino) predominates, but with crucial contributions from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, among others. Each vintage is a new equation, a search for balance between phenolic ripeness, natural acidity and soil traceability. Unlike the classic Ribera model, the aim here is not volume, but precision, verticality and longevity.
Ageing without fixed rules
The wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in French barrels of different capacities, with a clear preference for the use of second or third use wood, which allows the wine to breathe without masking its origin. The ageing does not follow a rigid script: it can range from 14 to 24 months, depending on the structure of the vintage. In the mouth, Quinta Sardonia is a symphony of layers : blackcurrant, ripe plum, balsamic notes, graphite, and that fresh nerve that only comes from a well understood Altura viticulture.
Philosophy, team and evolution
For years now, the winery has belonged to the Terras Gauda group, but the original philosophy has remained intact. What's more, it has been deepened. Today, the technical team is led by Jerôme Bougnaud, a French oenologist who has spent much of his career in Spain, and who has been instrumental in shaping the mineral elegance of today's wines. According to Bougnaud, " the secret is not in the variety, but in how the plant dialogues with the place ". Under this premise, wines such as Sardon have been born, a more accessible label but equally faithful to the identity of the vineyard, which has served as a gateway to a new generation of enthusiasts.
Quinta Sardonia today: free, precise and fearless
The creative freedom that comes from not belonging to a D.O. has made Quinta Sardonia a benchmark for signature wines in the northern plateau, and its influence can be felt in many young projects that, inspired by its example, have dared to explore the Douro from its margins. Here one should not look for the primary strength of the riverside reds or the enveloping sweetness of modern wine. What is on offer here is tension, texture, depth and a precise reading of the vineyard. It is not a wine for every day, but it is for those who want to understand how the Douro can be interpreted beyond the norm, with a free and radically coherent look.
Quinta Sardonia does not need official shields or prestigious labels: its reputation is forged bottle by bottle, on the palate of those who value the subtlest nuances of the land, the climate and the human soul that transforms them into wine
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Buy Wine from Quinta Sardonia
On the border between Castile and León and La Mancha, right on the western edge of the Ribera del Duero appellation -but outside its strict boundaries- sits Quinta Sardonia, a winemaking project that from the very beginning set out to challenge the conventions of Castilian wine. Founded in 1998 under the visionary eye of Peter Sisseck, the same Danish winemaker who years earlier revolutionised the region with Dominio de Pingus, this winery opted for a completely different model: to cultivate wine in harmony with biodiversity, altitude and respect for the soil, without relying on official labels to validate itself.
An estate with height (literally and enologically)
Quinta Sardonia is located in the Duero Valley, but a few metres beyond the D.O. This has been more of a blessing than a limitation. It has allowed them to work with unusual oenological freedom, avoiding restrictive regulations in order to experiment with French varieties, biodynamic practices and complex blends. The estate is spread over 20 hectares of terraced vineyards, located between 760 and 863 metres above sea level, with north and west-facing slopes, giving the vineyard constant ventilation and moderate sun exposure. Here the Duero is not just a geographical feature, but an essential thermal regulator, which together with the westerly wind brings coolness even in the harshest summers.
Lively soils, wines with character
The soil is a mosaic. Active limestone, marl, red clay and pebbles, interspersed in millennia-old layers that force the roots of the vines to dig deep in search of nutrients. Each plot is vinified separately, respecting the personality of the terroir, with an almost surgical approach. The influence of biodynamic thinking is not cosmetic: it is governed by the lunar calendars, homeopathic preparations are applied to the vineyard and all synthetic chemical intervention is avoided. The vineyard is understood as a living organism where every plant, every insect and every fungus has its function.
The flagship wine and how they make it
The winery's flagship wine, Quinta Sardonia, is not confined to a single variety. It is a sophisticated assemblage in which Tempranillo (Tinta Fino) predominates, but with crucial contributions from Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, among others. Each vintage is a new equation, a search for balance between phenolic ripeness, natural acidity and soil traceability. Unlike the classic Ribera model, the aim here is not volume, but precision, verticality and longevity.
Ageing without fixed rules
The wines are fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in French barrels of different capacities, with a clear preference for the use of second or third use wood, which allows the wine to breathe without masking its origin. The ageing does not follow a rigid script: it can range from 14 to 24 months, depending on the structure of the vintage. In the mouth, Quinta Sardonia is a symphony of layers : blackcurrant, ripe plum, balsamic notes, graphite, and that fresh nerve that only comes from a well understood Altura viticulture.
Philosophy, team and evolution
For years now, the winery has belonged to the Terras Gauda group, but the original philosophy has remained intact. What's more, it has been deepened. Today, the technical team is led by Jerôme Bougnaud, a French oenologist who has spent much of his career in Spain, and who has been instrumental in shaping the mineral elegance of today's wines. According to Bougnaud, " the secret is not in the variety, but in how the plant dialogues with the place ". Under this premise, wines such as Sardon have been born, a more accessible label but equally faithful to the identity of the vineyard, which has served as a gateway to a new generation of enthusiasts.
Quinta Sardonia today: free, precise and fearless
The creative freedom that comes from not belonging to a D.O. has made Quinta Sardonia a benchmark for signature wines in the northern plateau, and its influence can be felt in many young projects that, inspired by its example, have dared to explore the Douro from its margins. Here one should not look for the primary strength of the riverside reds or the enveloping sweetness of modern wine. What is on offer here is tension, texture, depth and a precise reading of the vineyard. It is not a wine for every day, but it is for those who want to understand how the Douro can be interpreted beyond the norm, with a free and radically coherent look.
Quinta Sardonia does not need official shields or prestigious labels: its reputation is forged bottle by bottle, on the palate of those who value the subtlest nuances of the land, the climate and the human soul that transforms them into wine