Bodegas Virtus: Award-winning wines from Ribera del Duero

A wooden table with four different bottles, two red and two white, of Bodegas Virtus wines, with wine glasses and plates of snacks — The Bodegas Virtus range.

(Image credit: Supplied by Bodegas Virtus)

Published 28 August 2026 In Features

In the heart of Spain’s Ribera del Duero DO lies boutique family winery Bodegas Virtus. Founded in 1986 by Paloma Escribano – one of the first women ever to hold a grape-grower’s licence in the region – today the winery in Aldeyuso in Valladolid is run by her son Íñigo López de la Osa Escribano and his wife Francesca Franco.

The story of Virtus is a tale of two passions: wine and horses. Paloma’s cavalry officer father, Don Mariano, instilled in his family a love of all things equestrian. His grandson Íñigo became an award-winning show jumper; the eye-catching labels on top Virtus bottles pay tribute to his horse Sultán de Beaofour, a sporting French breed known as Selle Français.

A woman on a horse, facing a large dark green statue of a horse with a red top hat on, with vines in the background — Horses play a special role in the winery's history.

A world-class wine

The liquid inside the bottle shows a similar pedigree, proven at this year’s Decanter World Wine Awards. Virtus Albillo Mayor Gran Reserva 2020 was awarded Platinum with 97 points, making it the highest-rated white wine from Ribera del Duero. It’s testament to the winery’s pioneering decision to champion ageworthy whites in Ribera del Duero: Virtus Albillo Mayor is one of only a few wineries in the DO to produce a Gran Reserva Blanco.

This limited-release – just 1,250 bottles in 2020 – comes from native variety Albillo Mayor, grown on old bush vines at over 900m in the unique terroir of Hontoria and Villálvaro. A rigorous triple-selection process is carried out ahead of plot-by-plot micro-vinification in French oak barrels, where it is fermented with wild yeasts.

An innovative ageing technique sees part of the wine spend seven months on skins in amphorae made of cocciopesto, a traditional Roman building material made from lime and crushed terracotta or brick fragments. The wine is then aged on its lees in 300- and 600-litre French oak barrels for over two years.

A room with oak barrels on the left and right side, and a large round ceramic amphora — Bodegas Virtus uses amphorae made of *cocciopesto.*

Taste-makers

The result is wine with incredible presence. DWWA judges noted: ‘Gorgeous nutty inflections of macadamia and cashew inhabit the buttercream-textured palate bridled by a serious lengthening acidity and tangerine tang to finish’. They also praised the ‘elegant mineral restraint on the nose’.

Keen to try for yourself? Wine lovers can order Virtus Albillo Mayor Gran Reserva 2020 online at El Corte Inglés Gourmet or at the Bodegas Virtus online shop – where you’ll also find the winery’s other ‘premier vin’ under the Virtus label, and the ‘second vin’ El Sueco range.

Bottle of Bodega Virtus white wine, with a glass next to it, and quince, a pear, nectarine and grapes — Virtus Albillo Mayor Gran Reserva Blanco.

Even better, visitors to Ribera del Duero can book a private tour at Bodegas Virtus, to experience the winery’s commitment to quality in person. Wine lovers have a choice of two tours, both beginning with a stroll through the scenic Valladolid vineyards, then a visit to the winery and its atmospheric barrel room.

This is followed by a specialised tasting. Choose the Visita Virtus experience to sample the winery’s most representative wines. Or discover the ageworthy whites project in the Visita Virtus en Blanco experience, which features an extended tasting of four wines, including Virtus Albillo Mayor Gran Reserva. Tours start from €30 per person.

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