The 2.5 million euro Spanish wine thrown down the drain – 02/21/2024 – Red or White

A person wearing a hood entered Cepa 21 in the early hours of this Sunday (18), in Valladolid, Spain, opened the exhaust door of the tanks and let three of the most expensive wines from this renowned winery from the qualified controlled designation of origin (DOCa) Ribera flow out. del Duero, as recorded by the company’s security camera (see video below). In total, 60,000 liters went down the drain, causing a loss of 2.5 million euros (around R$13 million).

Five tanks were opened, containing the wines Cepa 21 (R$ 232.00, at Casa Santa Luzia, in São Paulo), Malabrigo (not on the Brazilian market, in Spain it costs around 60% more than Cepa 21) and Horcajo (in Spain it costs more than four times the price of Cepa 21). According to the winery’s president, José Moro, told international agencies, the entire Horcajo stock went down the drain and a third of Malabrigo too. Cepa 21 has a higher production.

Apparently, the vandal was scared by something and stopped opening the other tanks in the canteen. Based on the images, the police are working with the hypothesis that the person knew the environment very well and that it was a woman. Probably a dislike.

In 2012, a very similar case happened in Montalcino, Italy, with even greater proportions. A vandal entered the winery that produced brunello di Montalcino Soldera and spilled the entire contents of the tanks, the work of six vintages. At the time, the involvement of the Mafia was considered, but it was eventually discovered that he was a former employee who had argued with his boss over an apartment he wanted to occupy and which had been given to another employee.

The boss, Gianfranco Soldera, was respected for his work, but considered a difficult person. There were rumors about him having denounced other very famous producers for illegal practices, in a case that became known as Brunellopoli, by the Italian press, or as The Brunellogate, by the international press. He couldn’t stand having his wine spat out (a common practice among professionals). He once threw a friend of mine out of his winery because of this.

The employee/vandal, Andrea di Gisi, in turn, was considered a good person, a drinking companion of people I know. As in Gilberto Gil’s song, however, it was precisely the good people who committed the crime. And he paid for it with four years in prison. Let’s see what the police discover in the coming days about the Spanish case. I would bet on something similar to what happened in Italy. Either way, it’s a warning. Producers need to start leaving guards in their million-dollar canteens, even though they live in peaceful places.

Ribera del Duero is, in fact, a very peaceful place. Until the 1980s it was practically unknown. The Duero is nothing more than the first stretch of the Portuguese Douro River. DOCa is about 130 km northwest of Madrid. It is a very dry region, with harsh summers and winters and a large temperature range. This all yields very structured red wines with plenty of personality.

The region is home to some of Spain’s most renowned wines. The famous Vega Sicilia Único is produced there, with a bottle from the 2012 vintage costing R$7,732.76 at Mistral. There is also the winery of the perhaps less popular, but even more expensive, Pingus, whose bottle from the 2014 vintage costs R$ 13,481.21, also at Mistral.

Of the poured wines, Cepa 21 is the simplest and the only one found on the Brazilian market (perhaps not for long because Épice stopped importing). This does not mean, however, that it is a lower quality wine. The 2021 vintage, which costs 20.50 euros in the bodega store, received 91 points from Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast and James Suckuling. Just like Malabrigo, which costs 34.60 euros, and Horcajo, which costs 89.60 euros, it is made from 100% tempranillo and is aged in French oak barrels. There must be a difference in the aging time and the age of the wood through which these three wines pass, but the producer does not inform this on the website. What it informs is that both Malabrigo and Horcajo are special single plots. I’ve never taken it, but just thinking about it going down the drain makes me want to cry. Watch the video below!

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