Why it matters
The producer
Daniel Ramos works from El Tiemblo, Ávila, with vineyards in Cebreros, Sierra de Gredos. Garnacha is central to the project, joined by Albillo Real and other varieties. The wider holding covers about 15 hectares in several parcels, giving the producer fruit from more than one vineyard position.
The range includes El Berrakin, a youthful Garnacha, and El Altar, a single vineyard bottling from north facing high altitude vines. Ramos farms organically and keeps the cellar work low intervention, using native yeast, slow maceration, no fining or filtering, and minimal sulfur at bottling.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Cebreros vineyards lie on steep slopes roughly 800 to 1,000 metres above sea level, with differing sun exposures across the parcels. El Tiemblo, Ávila is the producer's base, while Cebreros names the vineyard setting behind the wines.
Elevation changes the pace of ripening, and exposure changes the amount of sun each parcel receives. Garnacha grown in these conditions can retain fresh acidity while developing ripe fruit character, with each slope contributing a different balance of ripeness and freshness.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
Six hectares are planted with old vines trained as bushes, including Garnacha, Albillo Real and other varieties. The Garnacha holdings occupy several parcels, with slopes and exposures that differ across the Sierra de Gredos setting.
The cellar uses several traditional vessels. Kpi wines are made in clay amphorae, American oak or concrete tanks. El Berrakin is produced entirely in stainless steel, keeping its cellar treatment separate from the oak aged approach used for El Altar.
Wines to know
The range in view
El Berrakin is the youthful red in the range, made from Garnacha and produced entirely in stainless steel. It is designed for early drinking and can be served slightly chilled during summer.
El Altar is the single vineyard bottling, made from north facing high altitude old vine Garnacha. The 2018 wine contains 98% Garnacha and 2% Chelva. Together, the two wines show the range from stainless steel Garnacha for youthful drinking to a parcel specific wine with French oak élevage.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Choose El Altar 2018. It is the single vineyard bottling from Daniel Ramos's north facing, high altitude old vines, made from 98% Garnacha and 2% Chelva. The fruit is completely destemmed, ferments for 20 days, receives 25 days of skin maceration, and ages for 12 months in 600 litre French oak barrels.