To leave your comfortable life in Madrid to start a winery, you need to be strong and courageous. Javier Alonso, Maria del Yerro, and their children, moved 20 years ago to Ribera del DUero, Burgos, with the intention of starting a winery. Maria and Javier had purchased 26 hectares of vineyards in the area, all Tempranillo, to make wines that would reclaim the qualities that made the Riberas so famous. There was a flood of new wineries that fell under this designation, but the quality of the wines suffered. This was a risky gamble.
The Alonso del Yerro families knew that good advice was essential in order to produce the quality wine they wanted. The French Stephane Derenoncourt was a well-known Bordeaux winemaker. He fell in love the project and the “terroir” and moved to Roa to assume technical direction. This position he held until just a few months ago. . He was joined by Claude Bourguignon (a great French specialist) who analyzed the soil for many years in order to get the best results.
His first wine, Alonso del Yerro 2003 was launched on the market in 2005. The 24,000 bottles sold out quickly. The second, also from 2003 but in a higher level, arrived months later. Only 10,000 bottles were made from the finest essences of the denomination. They are only available in exceptional vintages.
The project was extended to Toro with an 80-year old vineyard, from which Paydos is made, producing just 5,000 bottles. After consolidating their project, Miguel, their eldest son and winemaker, has fulfilled their dream of making the finest Ribera del Duero wine. The Alonso del Yerro clan celebrated the 20th anniversary of the winery by hosting a dinner at Santa Marta, their family home in the middle of the vineyard. This event brought together some of the most important names in the sector.
Maria and Javier have made great wines. They are also people who have been endeared to their customers. This is not an easy feat in this competitive world.