TERROIR COLLECTION
Journey into Sierra de Francia
SALAMANCA
In 2008, an adventure in the Sierra region began by chance. While exploring the area as a tourist, David stumbled upon picturesque vineyards – many overgrown or abandoned – nestled in the terraces around Sequeros.
Intrigued, he decide to explore further, visiting charming villages like Garcibuey and Miranda del Castañr, eventually ending up in Mogarraz. There, he learned from the locals about a unique grape variety called Rufete.
The discovery of Rufete, a fascinating grape with its unique flavor, acidity, and exceptional viticultural qualities, marked the beginnig of our deep passion and commitment to cultivating and producing wines from this extraordinary and virtually unknown region.
Respecting Nonpareil Vineyards
Our journey began with a simple yet profound desire: to create wines that truly reflect the essences of their origins.
David, driven by this passion, met with several vine growers in search of the perfect partner. He handed each of them a copy of “Wine from Sky to Earch” by Nicolas Joly, curious to see who would embrace the philosophy it espoused.
When they reconvened, one grower had lost the book, another hadn’t read it, but the third, had questions and a keen interest. It was clear that Ambrosio, affectionately known as “Bosi”, was the perfect collaborator for our project.
the beginnings
In 2010, we purchased grapes from distinct parcels: “El Cuento” in Garcibuey and “Los Robales” in Miranda del Castañar. We commited to sourcing around 2,000 kilos of white grapes and between 3,000 to 4,000 kilos of red grapes annually, varying with each vintage.
RUFETE GRAPE
Red Rufete boasts a very thin skin yet high polyphenol content and intriguing acidity. The white Rufete, with its long maturation cycle, is harvested after the red, maintaining high acidity with an enchanting oxidative color

VINEYARD AND WINEMAKING
Our red Rufetes come from the “Fuente del Arca” vineyard in Garcibuey, planted in 1940 on slate soils, and the “Rosales” and “Pizarro” plots in Miranda del Castañar, planted in 1930 and 2000 respectively, on granite soils.
For the white Rufete, we needed more grapes and decided to re-graft a Tempranillo parcel with massal selection white Rufete. This led to the establishment of the “El Helechal” plot, planted in 2010.
CRAFTING OUR WINES
Inspired by the traditional methods of Rioja, we ferment our reds with stems and our whites with skins, utilizing extended macerations and long aging periods (two winters) in 500-liter barrels.
Our goal has always been to interpret the unique characteristics of our terroir through careful experimentation with macertation and aging, resulting in what we believe are some of the finest and most elegant expressions of Rufete, always reflecting the nuances of each vintage.

THE NAME
From the start, the name “El Cuento” inspired the concept of a trilogy, a “Fairy Tale” series featuring two reds from different soils (granite and slate) named “Pied Piper” and “The Emperor’s New Suit”, and a white named “Sleeping Beauty”.
Each name holds deep significance, reflecting the narrative and magic we aim to capture in each bottle.