This red wine comes from the tinto fino grape (tempranillo). The vines for the wine are 60-100 years old. The Aalto is matured for 24 months in American and French oak barrels and is characterized by elegant power and perfect balance. The scent is complex with aromas of blackcurrant, toast, mocha and earthy notes. The taste palette is particularly deep, with full, ripe, dark red fruit. The wine has great length in the flavor continuation. Every harvest year a perfect balance is sought between the fruit, oak and alcohol content. The maturation potential is 10-15 years. AALTO was founded in February 1999. Mariano García – director of Vega Sicilia for 30 years – and Javier Zaccagnini, former head of the Ribera del Duero Consejo Regulador – decided to combine their expertise in a special project: a new wine to be made, which would equal the quality of the best wines in the world within 15-20 years. Mission accomplished: Wine Spectator declared their AALTO 2012 No. 6 of the best wines in the world in November 2015! AALTO is based on three solid pillars: – The exceptional quality of the old tinto fino clones (tempranillo vines adapted to the terroirs of the Ribera del Duero) which can offer a comparable quality to the cabernet sauvignon in the Médoc, pinot noir in Burgundy, syrah in the Rhône, etc. – The significant complexity of the soil in combination with the microclimate of the region. – The winemaking talent and extensive experience of Mariano García. The AALTO project now has 110 hectares of old tinto fino vines in seven villages in the region. An optimal winery has been designed in Quintanilla de Arriba, with full temperature control, use of gravity, fermentation in wood, concrete and stainless steel, in own designed tanks, with two underground spaces that allow perfectly controlled wood aging. Two red wines are made: AALTO is the result of an extremely careful selection of grapes. A high quality wine that is made every year, climate permitting. AALTO PS (Pagos Seleccionados) is the top wine. This concerns a selection from the very best plots (pagos) of the vineyards. The hope is to make the AALTO PS 6 or 7 times within a decade. AALTO is now widely regarded as one of Spain's leading wineries, also among the best globally.