Dominio de Tares

Dominio de Tares was established in 2000 in San Román de Bembibre, a village in the eastern part of the Bierzo region of León. A group of investors and wine enthusiasts from Galicia, Asturias, and Madrid founded the winery to professionalize a then fragmented local wine sector. Rafael Somonte has served as the technical director and head enologist since 2014, bringing experience from both Spain and New Zealand. The project was among the first in the region to prioritize the recovery of neglected old vines and to focus exclusively on native varieties. It also manages a sister winery in the Los Oteros area called Dominio Dostares.

The estate manages 30 hectares of its own vineyards and maintains long term contracts with nearly 30 small growers in the villages of Valtuille de Abajo and Villadecanes. These holdings consist mostly of bush vines ranging from 40 to 90 years of age, including the 110 year old pre phylloxera vines of the San Carlos plot. The vineyards sit at altitudes between 600 and 700 meters on south facing slopes with complex soils of slate, gravel, and clay. Winemaking follows a traditional philosophy that includes manual harvesting, individual plot vinification, and fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The cellar uses a variety of French and American oak barrels for aging, though the current style emphasizes fruit purity over heavy wood influence.

The flagship wine of the producer is Cepas Viejas, a 100 percent Mencía sourced from 60 year old vines that helped introduce the variety to international consumers. The portfolio includes Baltos, an entry level Mencía aged for four months in barrel, and the high end Bembibre and P3 cuvées produced from the oldest estate plots. In addition to red wines, the winery produces white wines from the Godello grape, such as the stainless steel fermented La Sonrisa de Tares and the oak aged Cepas Viejas Godello. The estate is widely credited with helping transition Bierzo from a producer of bulk wines to a region recognized for complex wines suitable for long term aging.