Why it matters
The producer
Peter Sisseck produced the first Dominio de Pingus vintage in 1995 in a rented winery. The name Pingus came from his aunt, who used it to distinguish him from an uncle who was also named Peter, taking the name from her favorite cartoon characters, Peter and Ping.
The oak regime changed over time. Pingus was aged entirely in new oak through 2004. By 2012, no new oak was used, and the wine was aged in barrels that had already been used for 12 months.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The original Pingus vineyard was planted in 1929 and described as two plots separated by 500 meters. It has since been divided into five subplots reflecting variations in sand and clay, and the vineyard has transitioned to biodynamic management.
Sand and clay behave differently in the soil. The vineyard's subdivision records those changes across the holding, keeping the ground itself visible in the way the vines are organized.
Wines to know
The range in view
Pingus is produced in typically less than 500 cases each year, and no Pingus is made in poor vintages. Flor de Pingus was first produced commercially in 1996. It is the village wine alongside Pingus, made from different vineyards and described by Peter Sisseck as the other wine rather than a second wine.
Flor de Pingus draws on 30 hectares across four sites, with Tinto Fino and 5% Garnacha, and an annual production of 50,000 bottles. Amelia is a red wine from a La Horra plot planted in 1890 with only 500 vines.