The wind in Ribera del Duero carries a different kind of weight. It moves with history and heat, brushing past ancient vines and stucco walls, stirring something both rooted and celebratory. Visiting Dehesa de los Canónigos, perched along the storied Golden Mile between Valbuena and Pesquera, felt like stepping into a living tapestry. A tapestry woven with family, tradition, and the heady scent of barrel rooms and sun-warmed earth.
This isn’t just any winery. It is a family estate where vines are tended like heirlooms, where mealtime is sacred, and where every bottle tells a story meant to be shared.
Menu
History of Dehesa de los Canónigos
Vineyards & Winemaking
Feasting & Drinking
Overall Thoughts
History of Dehesa de los Canónigos
A Living Legacy with Basque Roots
Before it was a winery, Dehesa de los Canónigos was a monastic estate belonging to the 22 canons of the Cathedral of Valladolid. Its lands, stretching along the banks of the Duero River, were a prized agricultural holding, cherished for their fertility and strategic location. The name “Canónigos” pays homage to these original ecclesiastical stewards.
In 1842, the estate entered a new chapter when it was acquired by Teodosio Lecanda Chaves. Inspired by his Basque heritage, Lecanda built the estate’s now-iconic adobe farmhouse… a style rarely seen in Ribera del Duero. The construction technique, using sun-dried earth bricks, imbues the building with a rustic elegance. The architectural choice is not just aesthetic but practical; insulation providing a cool, serene atmosphere even during sweltering Castilian summers.
The Lecanda family eventually became intertwined with some of the region’s most important viticultural history. A relative, Eloy Lecanda, would go on to found Vega Sicilia, laying the groundwork for what would become one of Spain’s most prestigious wine regions.
The estate passed through several hands before it was purchased in the 1930s by the Sanz family; now stewards for five generations. The family weathered political upheaval, phylloxera, and economic challenges. It was their decision in the 1980s to revive wine-making on the estate in earnest, transforming it into a beacon of quality in Ribera del Duero just as the Denominación de Origen (DOC) was gaining international acclaim.
Today, every stone and barrel echoes with stories of the family’s quiet perseverance and open-armed hospitality. Siblings Iván and Belén Sanz are now at the helm. Iván tends to the vines, while Belén crafts the wines. Together, they honour a philosophy inherited from their father: the vine comes first.
“La viña antes que la barrica.”
Accolades and Recognition
This year, the estate was named Best Winery at the Verema Awards. One of the most important awards in the Spanish-speaking wine community, it distinguishes projects that take wine tourism to the next level. After my experience visiting Dehesa de los Canónigos, I agree that they deserve this award!
Vineyards & Winemaking
The Vines
The estate encompasses 500 ha, with 60 ha under vine, spread across a patchwork of 22 distinct plots. Some of these parcels border the Duero, while others climb gently inland, offering a diversity of microclimates and soil compositions. The vines have organic certification.
One of the most remarkable features of the vineyards is their pebbly alluvial soils interspersed with limestone and clay. These pebble-strewn plots act like natural temperature regulators, reflecting sunlight during the day and releasing warmth through the cool nights. Combined with the high altitude of 800 meters above sea level and stark diurnal temperature shifts, the result is a terroir that naturally balances ripeness with freshness. The vines, some of which are over 80 years old, yield low quantities but incredible intensity.
The varieties grown include the region’s noble Tempranillo (known locally as Tinta Fina), Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. There is also a small but essential planting of Albillo Mayor. Historically, this white grape enhances elegance and adds aromatic lift to blends.
Integration with Natural Ecosystems
The estate owns a significant 200 ha pine forest. Some of the stone pines are over 140 years old! This forest serves as a habitat for diverse fauna, aiding in the natural control of certain pests, and contributing to biodiversity.
The Cellars
Crossing the threshold into the production site feels like entering a sanctum. A door with a secret message opens to reveal a refuge where the pulse of the estate slows to a reverent hush. Adobe architecture wraps around the room like a protective cloak.
Here, each vineyard plot is vinified separately in small stainless-steel tanks, preserving the unique fingerprint of every parcel. The fermentation process is gentle, favouring native yeasts and minimal intervention. Ageing is depends on the style of each wine. Finer wines begin in seasoned American oak for structure and moving to French oak for finesse.
At the heart of Dehesa de los Canónigos is the cellar. Tradition breathes in the scent of ageing oak, the air carrying hints of cedar, toast, and fermenting fruit. Barrels line the cellar like sentinels. Each one whispers its part of the vintage’s journey. There’s romance here, but it’s grounded in precision, patience, and purpose.
Time is an essential ingredient here. Wines are aged slowly, often longer than required by regulation, and released only when they’re ready to tell their story. In fact, bottling was in process during the visit, which is why the barrel rooms were not at capacity.
Feasting & Drinking
After exploring the vineyards and cellars, I joined the team for a convivial lunch. In their beautifully appointed dining area, we enjoyed generous spreads of local flavours: cheeses straight from the farm, fine charcuterie, and of course rustic pintxos. Everything was served family-style, making us feel right at home. The setting was as relaxed as it was beautiful, with a big fire casting warmth as our laughter echoed between bites.
And, of course, there was wine.
Dehesa de los Canónigos 2019 (15 Meses en Barrica) – Magnum
This wine is the flagship of the estate. Made from 100% Tempranillo and aged for 15 months in American oak, it was poured from magnum. The nose is elegant and expressive with layers of blackberry, cherry, plum, and a whisper of forest floor. Liquorice winds through the bouquet, with tobacco leaf and the spicy warmth of cedar and nutmeg. On the palate, it deepens with notes of balsamic and toast. The structure is strong but refined with ripe tannins and bright acidity. The finish is long and resonant. A classic Ribera, full of sun and soul.
Solideo Reserva 2021
Solideo is the crown jewel of Dehesa de los Canónigos, created only in exceptional years to honour the estate’s legacy. The name Solideo, meaning “Only before God,” alludes to the winery’s ecclesiastical origins. It is the name of the silk cap worn by the Pope and bishops.
Crafted from 93% Tempranillo, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot, and 3% Albillo Mayor, Solideo is born from vines more than 80 years old, planted in gravel soils with the traditional low-yield bush vine system. This connection to the land, combined with meticulous ageing for 24 months in American oak (with the final four months in new French oak), gives the wine its deep complexity and long ageing potential.
On the nose, Solideo unveils a rich tapestry of aromas. Think ripe black fruits, golden raisins, and dried figs, interwoven with the spicy nuances of liquorice and black pepper. The palate is full-bodied and profound with notes of forest floor and wet leaves with a hint of tobacco leaf. It’s deep and intriguing. This wine commands reverence. It is my favourite of the two.
Overall Thoughts
Ribera del Duero is painted as serious, even austere. But that’s only part of the story. There’s also a certain festivity here; a rustic elegance and rooted generosity that Dehesa de los Canónigos embodies so effortlessly.
The region’s high altitude and intense seasons yield wines of incredible character, but they also shape a way of life. One that invites you to slow down, savour, and share. A rhythm that calls you to raise a glass with those around you, celebrating both the land and the people who tend it.
Visiting Dehesa de los Canónigos feels less like a formal winery tour and more like being welcomed into a family celebration. A place where history is honoured, the future is nurtured, and the present is full of flavour.
In the end, what I carried home wasn’t just tasting notes or terroir facts. It was the feeling of warm adobe, of a magnum being shared with new friends, and of the joy that comes with sipping great wine with great company.
Because that, after all, is what wine is for.
Thank you to FINE Wine Tourism Marketplace for for the opportunity of Visiting Dehesa de los Canónigos.