The grapes of Cruz de Alba come from a unique vineyard, Finca Los Hoyales, located in the heart of the golden mile of the Ribera del Duero. Carefully maintained by the some what eccentric and appropriately named “vine whisperer”, Sergio de Avila, it produces some of the finest grapes in the province.
Taking the concept of organics and biodynamics to the next level, Sergio has coined his own methodology called Agrohomeopathy and states that as little action as possible should be applied to the vineyards, applying only preparations with minuscule doses of vegetable, animal or mineral substances. To further this, he believes that like all living things, the vineyard is connected and as such has communication points within the vines so he can quite literally talk to them with the aid of a divining rod. Whatever the thoughts on his ethos, the wine speaks for itself with his flagship offering, Finca Los Hoyales being one of the jewels in the crown of Spanish oenology.

Harvested by hand with selection of clusters in the vineyard. Gentle destemming and fermentation in oak casks. Malolactic in new French-oak casks. Subsequently, the wine remained ageing on the lees in the cask for 22 months with no racking, only occasional gentle stirring. Then the wine was bottled without filtering and left to rest for a further 10 months until being released for sale.
This wine is perfumed with black fruit and spice and finished with a fine, tangy hint of balsamic vinegar.