Pares Balta 酒莊親自拜訪 Ribera de Duero 產區尋找老葡萄園，因為他們知道斗羅產區可以說是西班牙之寶，希望在 CAVA 產區外另外有一塊新天地。他們首先到當地的酒吧聊聊天，詢問有沒有有興趣賣的葡萄園，在經過無數次的登門拜訪、一位一位的陌生人與朋友引薦下，他們終於找到了現在的羅馬人莊園這塊地。當他們看到這塊園地上種植著一株又一株樹幹粗壯、蜿蜒於空中與地下的老樹藤，嚇傻了。向賣葡萄園的人問到：「你現在產的葡萄都到哪去了呢？」地主回答：「都到釀酒合作社秤斤秤兩賣去了」。Pares Balta 酒莊眼睛大亮，目測與計算老樹的年紀，至少都有 250 歲，外加上當地的砂質土壤與樹根的深度，研判出這些老樹屬於葡萄根瘤芽蟲侵襲西班牙前的老樹藤，你知道這樣的樹有多難得嗎？
從前芽蟲肆虐，將所有的老樹藤葉脈、樹根都啃食殆盡，由於芽蟲在一般的黏土土壤中可以在地底下挖隧道，於是乎芽蟲就像螞蟻一樣在地底下來去自如，也造成了大部分葡萄園樹種的壞死。不過砂質土壤可就不一樣了。蚜蟲挖一段路、崩塌一段路，根本無法有效地形成一條道路，也順理成章的隔絕了葡萄樹死去的災難。
由於酒莊與釀酒師堅持要釀造出最有在地風土的葡萄酒款，他們使用 400 公升的大型橡木桶陳釀葡萄酒款，也因次他們僅能使用 Crianza 最入門的法定產區標示。不過他們對於自己的酒相當自豪：「好的酒或者特別有個性的酒款，通常不見得要遵守政府法定產區的標準，因為他們不見得可以了解我們想要呈現的風格」。我才知道，其實跳脫認證的綁架，才能通達藝術家釀酒師的精髓。
「比較典型與老派的斗羅河酒喜歡用很濃郁的橡木桶陳年，酒體渾厚飽滿，雄壯威武，不過我們比較不想走這種路線，我們希望可以讓葡萄更接地氣一點。」釀酒師 Jordi Fernandez 提到。在地原生葡萄品種叫做 Tinto Fino, 有些人說他就是 Tempranillo，其實不盡然，他們雖然家族很像，可卻是全然不同的葡萄，Tinto Fino 葡萄果實較小，口感比較扎實，在葡萄樹上葡萄串比較往中間靠攏，反之，Tempranillo 品種果粒較大、葡萄串生長較為分散，像是長了翅膀一樣，口感也比較清淡爽口。
目前羅馬人酒莊一共有3款酒，分別是 Camino、Dominio Romano 與 RDR，全都使用單一品種 Tinto Fino 與 400 公升大型橡木桶釀造，最經典的黑標 RDR 酒款更是葡萄根瘤芽蟲侵襲前的老樹藤產出的葡萄釀製而成！喝過一次就會深深愛上並且了解何謂味蕾被綁架，渾厚口感複雜度高，焦糖、黑莓的底蘊下更迸發出礦石與泥煤的點綴，讓你捨不得一口喝完，慢慢等，每秒鐘都是驚喜。
The climate in Ribera del Duero is shaped by its extreme conditions:
In the winter, the climate is continental, dry, windy and very cold with temperatures that drop down to -20ºC. The summer is Mediterranean, warm and dry, with a strong thermic contrast between night (03-12ºC) and day (25 – 35ºC). The rainfall is scarce, approximately 450mm per year (between 75 and 92 rain days per year).
The vineyards are worked in the same way our ancestors used to do. The vines grow very close to the soil in order to get protection from the winter frost, and are trained as bush vines without the necessity of irrigation and are left free standing.
Among the vineyards is a pre filoxeric vineyard with approximately 125 year old vine stocks, probably one of the oldest vineyards in the region. From its grapes RDR is being born, a wine full of passion and elegance. A truly witness of the great uniqueness of the history of Ribera del Duero.
In DOMINIO ROMANO we focus on the typical variety of the Ribera del Duero: Tinto Fino, a Tempranillo clone that has many years ago adapted itself to the extreme climate of the region and the tipicity of the soil. The majority would affirm that it is the same variety but in DOMINIO ROMANO have observed significant differences between the two:
The Tinto Fino grape is much smaller and the clusters are more ventilated.
The yield is much lower. The berries are more compact.
The degree of phenolic maturation is higher.
The morphology of leafs and branches is different.
After a long exploration, we decided to establish our winery in the picturesque village of Rabano, situated in the Valley of Duraton, only 9 km away from Peñafiel (the heart of the Ribera del Duero)
Our elaboration philosophy is accurate to the one applied in all our wineries
Working with the Tinto Fino grape, the typical and unique VARIETY of the Ribera del Duero region.
We are looking for sandy SOILS that adapted themselves best to the characteristics of the Tinto Fino grape. TEAMWORK. We are far and foremost people in search of an objective: to create the best wine year after year, and for that we only see one possible way: the summation of all effort.
To continue with the TRADITION that has lead the wines from Ribera del Duero towards great recognition and international appreciation.
The INTEGRITY to accomplish a given objective by choosing not the easiest but the most accurate way.
In the winery we also attempt to break the rules, employing techniques like the pre fermentative pellicular maceration or the ageing in 400l barrels in order to proportion the oak better.
Illusion and knowledge that are being transmitted into the DOMINIO ROMANO wines.
