History
"The discovery of something special is always a moving experience for the scrupulous wine merchant. It is by accident we came across Bodegas Mauro. Close to the famous vineyards belonging to the Bodegas Vega Sicilia, a small hut by the road advertises a tasting of wines from Bodegas Mauro. Usually one pays little attention to roadside publicity, but imagine our surprise on tasting a wine with all the class, elegance and complexity of a Bordeaux Classed Growth; almost ready to drink and available at a fraction of the price.
Further research showed that Mauro had already been 'discovered' in Spain and availability, apart from the few cases sold by the roadside, was almost as restricted as the famed Vega Sicilia. Nevertheless, the quality was such to merit attention. A meeting with the co-proprietor in a small bar in Tudela gave us more background. Luciano Suarez, an architect specializing in the restauration of Romanesque churches along the old pilgrim road to Santiago, is passionate about good food and wine. He created Mauro as a hobby with the objective of producing the finest wine possible from the old vineyards near Tudela on the Duero river. His career as an architect has included the renovation of the famous Cathedral in Burgos and the Monastry of "Los Silos" nearby.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, when nearby Valladolid was capital of Spain and seat of the Spanish kings and queens, the Tudela district was the city's main source for red wines. In 1562 King Philip II went as far as passing ordinances decreeing that wines from Tudela del Duero be exempt from taxation due to their exceptional quality. Today, most of the vineyards have disappeared and the town's rabbit warren of cellars lie abandoned. Fortunately, renewed interest in the Duero came after the creation of the Ribera del Duero DO, in 1982. There is still much planting to be done, but already the district is making great strides with quality and prestige.
Despite the publicity, Mauro has made the decision not to be part of the new DO. In order to achieve the standards they expect of themselves, they prefer to work without the restrictions involved. As for the brands created by Antinori in Italy, the name Mauro is establishing itself without the help of a local appellation. The intense, smooth, rich style coupled with elegance, charm and polish put Mauro in a league of its own, and bottles grace the tables of the leading restaurants in Spain, the Prime Minister and the King."