Location and landscape
La Aguilera is a locality of the municipality of Aranda de Duero in the province of Burgos, Castile and León, and lies in the area of the Ribera del Duero. The place is situated at about 842 metres above sea level. The region’s landscape is shaped by gently undulating terrain, interfluvial hills, river valleys and terraces along the Duero and its tributaries.
Climate and soils
In the Ribera del Duero, a continental-influenced Mediterranean climate prevails, with an Atlantic influence. Hot, dry conditions, strong annual temperature variations and a considerable risk of frost during the vegetation cycle characterise the area. The average annual precipitation in the nearby Aranda de Duero is 435 millimetres; during the ripening period, day-night differences of about 15 to 20 degrees Celsius are typical.
The basin consists mainly of tertiary silty and clayey sands with alternating layers of limestone, marl and chalk. The soils are generally alkaline and low in organic matter.
Viticulture and wines
Winegrowing in La Aguilera is an established agricultural activity alongside arable farming and livestock rearing. For Ribera del Duero wines, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha Tinta, Malbec, Merlot and Albillo Mayor are permitted. Tempranillo is the most important red grape variety, and Albillo Mayor is the most important white grape variety.
The area produces young white, rosé and Clarete wines as well as red wines and aged wines. The requirements for red wines demand at least 95 per cent of permitted red grape varieties, including at least 75 per cent Tempranillo, Tinto Fino or Tinta del País. White wines must contain at least 75 per cent Albillo Mayor. For Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva, fixed minimum times apply for maturation in oak casks and in the bottle.
History
In La Aguilera there is the Santuario de San Pedro Regalado, which is associated with the Franciscan Recollects. After a fire in 1699, the exterior was rebuilt in 1706. The wine culture of the rest of the Ribera del Duero has been documented for more than two thousand years; archaeological evidence of wine consumption comes, among other things, from the pre-Roman and Roman settlement of Pintia.