Vinas del Cenit was launched in 2007 when the winery investment group Terraselecta found a collection of very old Tempranillo vines in Toro. The local sort of Tempranillo, called Tinto del Toro, is locally considered the best version of the grape, with especially thick skins and punchy flavors, so the winery was named Cenit, the Spanish word for Zenith, to reflect that these vines were as good as they could get. A generation ago, such a project would have yielded intensely alcoholic wines with dreams of Chateau Pingus, the Spanish prototype for full throttle hedonistic wines. This winery is not that. Vinas del Cenit is directed by someone with an eye for balance, originally from the nearby region of Arribes, where people still remember the once common pre-commercial tradition of blending grapes together, regardless of their color.
     Jose Manuel Beneitez came to Viñas del Cenit from Arribes, a region where multi-varietal winemaking is a hallmark, drawn by the old vineyards he knew so well. He believes that the Tempranillo wines produced at the winery revealed only part of Tierra del Vino’s identity and is convinced that the vines hold hidden treasures that should be brought to the fore, such as the white grape varieties, long overlooked in the region.
      65% Tempranillo, 15% Doña Blanca, 10% Verdejo, and 5% each Garnacha Tintorera and Godello, all mixed together in the press before fermentation. This results in a wine that gives the rich, figgy pudding flavors, chocolate and dusty soil essence of rock solid Tempranillo, but pairs it to the acidity and loft of early-picked white grapes. Fresher cherries and plums and orange peels come through, lifted off the palate’s floor by the Verdejo and Godello, while Dona Blanca imparts a bouquet of flowers to the mix. This is a sturdy wine and no mistake, but it has a bit more movement to it than others of its kind.