Emilio Moro Wines

Placing Ribera del Duero’s Tinto Fino on the Map

Although the Ribera del Duero is a small appellation north of Madrid and its wines do not get the same attention as those from Rioja, the Bodegas Emilio Moro is placing this Designation of Origin (DO) on the map through underscoring the purest expression of Tempranillo, or locally known as Tinto Fino. These wines are definitely not to be missed, and need to be a part of any wine drinking experience, or wine cellaring quest. These are wines that can be drunk now and are perfect for summer barbeques, but they are also crafted to age, and can develop complexity over the years. This is because they are very well-structured wines that take full advantage of all the diversity Tinto Fino has to offer. Your eye is first attracted to them with their deep red cherry colour, and then your nose can’t escape the ripe black fruit aromas with notes that can vary from spices to balsamic to toasty oak. Finally, your palate enjoys the balanced acidity with persistent tannins that offer a beautiful, lengthy finish.

Preserving Tradition: Passing Down the Family Passion

The Moro family who makes these unique, red wines had its beginnings back in 1932 with the birth of Emilio Moro Sr., whose name adorns the winery and its labels. Since then, three generations have devoted their lives to exploring all of the features of the Ribera del Duero terroir with the goal of expressing its uniqueness through their intense wines. Located in the small town of Pesquera, Jose Moro has run the Bodegas Emilio Moro since 1989 along with his and sisters. His passion for wine started as a child with his father and grandfather nurturing his love for the winemaking world, and together with the rest of his family, they promote their philosophy of wine through tradition, innovation and social responsibility.

Terroir and Innovation to Express Tinto Fino’s Uniqueness

The uniqueness of Emilio Moro wines have their start in the 173 acres of vines across several parcels in Pesquera de Duero, with the vines of an average age between 10 to 25 years of age. These vineyards rise up to almost 600 metres along the banks of the Duero River, which provides the vineyards with much needed water. And if you’re wondering, the name Ribera Duero means ‘bank of the Duero’. Tinto Fino is well-suited to the complex soils that consist of a silt and clay topsoil sitting on layers of limestone, marl and chalk.  This complexity of the terroir undoubtedly comes through in the wines. The climate also contributes to the special character of the wines. The vines grow in an extreme continental climate of hot, dry summers with harsh winters. During the growing season, there are large temperature ranges with high daytime temperatures followed by much cooler nights. This allows for the beautiful development of those black fruit aromas in the grapes that then carry through into the wines. The soils and climate work hand-in-hand to give the wines from the Bodegas Emilio Moro a unique personality, a personality that is unique to both its vineyards and to the Ribera del Duero.

This personality also comes from the use of innovation in the vineyard that dates back to when the Moro family first started as grape growers. In the past, there used to be different varieties in the same vineyards, but from those varieties, the Moro family kept the clone of Tempranillo that made the best wines. They still use this particular clone that is now grafted onto all of their vines.

Crafting Humanity into Emilio Moro’s Wines

Not only does the Moro family place tradition and innovation at the heart of their wines, but what makes them even more unique in the wine world is their desire to impart ‘kindness through social awareness’ through their wines. After they hosted a local charity event for the blind, they were so moved by the event that they wanted to make a bigger contribution to the cause. Now, when you run your fingers along any of their wine labels, you can feel Braille lettering guiding you over the descriptions of their appellation and well-crafted wine. Emilio Moro is actually the only winery in the world to make their wines accessible to the blind since 2014. Not only does the family’s passion for their terroir come through in their wines, but their passion for humanity also makes their way into them. These perfected Tinto Fino wines reflect the uniqueness of the Ribera del Duero and the Bodegas Emilio Moro gives you plenty of reasons to drink them!