Creta Roble 2012

Sotillo de la Ribera is a small village of 600 inhabitants on the northern edge of the DO of Ribera del Duero. Dating back to the middle ages, many of the buildings in Sotillo date to the 18th century when grape growing and winemaking brought prosperity to the village – a tradition which continues today. After many years’ experience making a custom cuvée in the DO, Eric Solomon has recently partnered with Rafael de Haan to make Creta from 30-50 year old vines of Tempranillo grown in clay loam and chalky soils surrounding Sotillo.

British born and educated, Rafael joined the UK wine trade in 2000 but soon realized that he rather have a career closer to the vine. In 2001 he moved to Barcelona, began brokering a selection of estates and opened a tapas bar before establishing his first property, Bodegas Abanico in Rioja with his partner Nuria Altes. In addition to Creta, Rafael de Haan and Nuria Altes run Herencia-Altes in Terra Alta (Nuria’s place of origin), and partner with Eric Solomon to make Hazaña Viñas Viejas in Rioja.