Vinicola la Calera

The story of Vinícola La Calera began in 2008 when business partners Javier del Blanco and César Arranz founded 3 Ases Vinos in Ribera del Duero. They initially bought grapes and rented space in a winery to produce their wines. Later, they bought their own winery and a 3-hectare plot of Tempranillo. After splitting from their capital partners—who wanted to scale up and become more commercial —they focused on small production, fresh, and expressive wines.

They now produce two wines: 3 Ases and Pico del Castro, both from a single plot planted in 1989. Located in Quintanilla de Arriba, the vineyard sits on loamy, limestone soils in Ribera del Duero. The vineyard is farmed organically (certification in progress), with no herbicides, and uses cover crops to improve soil and prevent erosion. The 3 Ases is a fresh take on Ribera del Duero, made exclusively in stainless steel to preserve the grape’s fruit character. It’s light and crunchy with notes of cranberry, strawberry, and white pepper. Pico del Castro is a more traditional Tempranillo, aged briefly in old French oak. It offers rich flavours of blackberries, liquorice, and smokiness. They’ve recently acquired 100-year-old dry-farmed vines and plan to produce a tiny batch wine from this site—only 500 to 1000 bottles!