Tr3smano – “Where time stands still and what matters is doing things well”.
Recently we visited one of Spain’s beautiful wine regions, Ribera del Duero, and encountered the beautiful wines of Bodega Tr3smano. After being struck by the quality of their wines we received three wines out of their selection which we will share with you in this article.
The Region
Ribera del Duero. A beautiful and well-known wine region in Spain with a strong reputation of producing quality wines. A region which is authentic, elegant and so intriguing we aim to write a lot of content about it.
As you might be aware we have been selected as one of the proud ambassadors for this region by the Spanish D.O. (Denominación de Origen). As this region holds so many treasures we cannot wait to elevate our taste buds and take you all along on this tasty journey.
But first, a quick recap of this special region. Where exactly is it located again? About two hours above Madrid, in the center of Castilla y Leon, Spain’s largest state. The name Ribera del Duero actually literally translates as riverbanks of the Duero. Needless to say, this river affects the vineyards and growing conditions. The combination of altitude (the region is situated on a plateau that reaches heights between 700-1000 meters), the overall warm Spanish climate and a hint of the Atlantic allow the grapes to develop full and very complex aromas. Producing distinctive, authentic, and potentially high-quality wines.
When we say Ribera del Duero… you say? Tempranillo! That is right. Here Tempranillo also goes by other names such as Tinto Fino or Tinta del Pais, and around 95% of the vineyards are planted with this variety. The name Tempranillo is actually derived from the word ‘early’ which hints to the grape being perfectly suitable for the particular climate which hangs over this beautiful region. The grapes ripen and bud quite early which is great for the sunny but short growing season in this region. Over the years the Spanish have perfected the varieties ability to thrive in this region, allowing it to produce extremely bold and beautiful wines in the present day.
The Winery
For this particular review we travel to Bodega Tr3smano. Tr3smano written with a 3 instead of an E, referencing to the three dreamers who gave life to the winery. “Tr3smano brings together the origin of a traditional winegrowing region that has knowingly turned its rough edges into celebration, labor into vigor and soil into wine” … a quote of their website and a beautiful philosophy which resonates within their wines (but more on those beauties later).
Tr3smano’s vineyards located in three of the best wine growing subzones in the Ribera del Duero region. They make up a total vineyard area of around 55 hectares, with vines aging up to 50 years. The winery is located along Ribera’s so called “Golden Mile” or La Milla de Oro, which also houses iconic wineries such as Vega Sicilia and Pingus. The estate has a strong history in winemaking dating back to over 300 years ago. They hold a lot of memories, experience and skills that have been acquired and carefully crafted over the years.
They say the winery is protected by an old olive three that is over 1,500 years old. These stories are so intriguing! Even if you are not a lover you could easily get lost in the history and stories of this exceptional winery.
The architecture of the winery is something else! If you ever are so lucky as to actually visit the property you will be astonished by the gorgeous architectural building that sits in its landscape in a most delicate way. It is a real eyecatcher beautifully integrated into its surroundings.
The Wines
How does Tr3smano make their wines? What characterizes them?
For starters their wealth of experience and expertise. As mentioned earlier there is a proud history attached to the house of Tr3smano, and throughout these years they refined and perfected their winemaking skills. Secondly, they make great use of their know-how, combining it with the latest technology. The current team does a great job in interpreting technology, so that it can be used in an optimal way along the winemaking process. The correct use of their oak barrels (used to complete the fermentation and maturing of the wines) is another part of the wine making process in which they excel.
Now, let us get more concrete and talk Tempranillo! Because for this particular review we received three of their gorgeous wines. And we have to say we were quite lucky, because we discovered a true gem. But let us start at the beginning.
PROVENTUS 2019
The first wine in this review is the PROVENTUS 2019.
Produced in a volume of ~ 82,000 bottles.
A balanced wine with aromas of dark fruit, spices and a light touch of oak (14 months of aging in French & American oak barrels). The wine is made from 100% Tinta del Pais. There is a very delicate balance between the tannins and acidity. And although this wine is still quite young we would recommend to enjoy the wine as. If we had to describe it with one word it would be “balance”.
If you are eager to try something from the house of Tr3smano go out and get yourself this bottle, and serve it on a special occasion accompanied by a lovely meal.
We award this 2019 PROVENTUS with a 90-point DWA score.
However, if you are you eager to fill your cellar and if you are not in any rush to start drinking today. then read on, because the following two wines are stunning and intriguing, but so much so that we would leave them locked up in our cellar to ripen for another couple of years. Do not get us wrong, they are absolutely great, however they hold all the potential to show more of their complexity in a few years.
Tr3smano Vendimia 2019
The first of these two wines is the Tr3smano Vendimia 2019.
Produced in a volume of ~ 50,000 bottles.
This is the result of the coming-together of the three subzones in which Tr3smano farms. The grapes for this wine are a selection of each harvest.
This is the bolder, heavier, more intense version of its little younger brother (PROVENTUS) and by younger we do not mean in years but the level of maturity of the aromas, body, etcetera. The color is intense. Cherry red tones go hand in hand with deep and complex aromas. Ripe fruit, spices like pepper, coffee, toast and wood but also earthy notes and flowers. It all comes through in an interesting way!
Its tannins are still a little rough around the edges, making us believe they will soften over the years. A great wine to drink, however we believe it has a lot of potential to further develop itself. Softer tannins will make this divers wine even more intriguing then it is today.
We award this 2019 Tr3smano with a 92-point DWA score.
TM 2018
The second, or third in line, is Tr3smano’s crown jewel, the TM 2018.
Produced in a volume of just ~ 3,000 bottles.
And the final chapter of our trilogy is the TM 2019, a true gem. This is a very special wine, and we felt very privileged to be able to review it. Sparks of joy came together with a bit of sadness when reviewing this wine, as we would have loved to put this treasure away and hide it in our cellar.
This wine is made from grapes that are a selection of a selection. Plainly said this is made of the absolute best grapes, and this wine is only produced under perfect circumstances. Can you now understand why it is so sad we already had to drink it?
The wine is aged in a special collection of barrels. It is reviewed and carefully analyzed every month, and in the end only some of the barrels meet the quality that is needed for this wine. In Tr3smano’s words: “we cannot guarantee how many bottles we produce each year; however, we can guarantee that every bottle is a major work of art, that deserves to be enjoyed”. And that is exactly how we felt during the review and tasting of this bottle! The colors are so intense (more on the purple side) and the aromas very complex. Again, dark red fruits, coffee but also tea leaves, a lot of spices and of course your touch of oak. Perfectly balanced not dominant in any way! In the mouth it is silky smooth and the wine salutes you with a very beautiful long finish.
We award this 2019 TM with a 95-point DWA score.
Conclusion
All in all, we are impressed by the beautiful works of art that we were able to review. For us this winery does a great job in showing the diversity of the Ribera del Duero D.O. Tr3smano’s work has the ability to conquer not only the Spanish, but also the international market, and shows the way forward for this interesting Spanish wine region.
We would like to thank Bodega Tr3smano for sharing these wines with us and encourage you all to try one or more of their wines.
This review is written by our own Eline de Geus, who also took the beautiful pictures.
