Nicknamed the Hidden Gem of Ribera del Duero, you can find Finca Villacreces tucked away behind a bicentennial pine tree forest on the “Golden Mile” of Ribera del Duero. The beautiful 110-hectare Estate, which is flanked by the famous Duero River and the iconic Bodegas Vega Sicilia, is comprised of 64 hectares planted to vines while the rest includes the winery and a fairytale-like pine tree forest. Coincidentally the combination of being surrounded by the river and the forest helps protect the vines from frost and other extreme elements of nature allowing the winery to consistently count on premium fruit to craft their wines. 

The story of the Estate dates back to 1350 when Franciscan friar Pedro de Villacreces settled in the region. Since then many important people have been guests, including renowned winemaker Peter Sisseck, who used the winery and fruit from its vineyard to produce his first Flor de Pingus. Today’s version of Finca Villacreces commenced in 2004 when the father and son duo of Gonzalo and Lalo Antón, also proprietors of Bodegas Izadi in Rioja, purchased the Estate. Since their takeover, the Estate and vineyards have been restored resulting in a unique enotourism experience among organic vines.

Planted on the Estate you can find Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vines which are used to produce their 4 different wines. If you visit them, make sure to enjoy the electric bike tour which takes you through their vineyards, an experience that we loved. This bike experience concludes with a vineyard picnic making it the perfect way to close out your visit. A walk through their meticulously cared-for grounds is also a must.

During our visit, we had the opportunity to enjoy their 2020 Pruno and their 2019 Finca Villacreces. We found Pruno, which is 95% Tempranillo and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon fruit forward and nicely structured. The 2019 Finca Villacreces is a blend of 86% Tempranillo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Merlot from the best low-yielding parcels on the property. It was aged 14 months in French Oak (50% new & 50% second year) and we found it to be fresh and balanced with an elegant long finish.

An experience at this hidden gem while exploring Ribera del Duero is one that we think most wine enthusiasts would greatly enjoy. During our visit not only did we discover a beautiful project, we discovered wines that we now seek out.