Ángel Luis Margüello
“My relationship with wine began in childhood. It’s important to note that Peñafiel, located in Ribera del Duero, has been a viticultural area for centuries.
My first real contact with grapes was with my great-grandfather Mariano, who had two very small vineyards, called ‘majuelos.’ I was around 5–7 years old and remember going with him on a donkey and a small cart to harvest grapes.
Like in all families in the area, your role in the vineyard depended on your age. When you were very young, you’d simply spend the day playing and being a bit of a nuisance. As you got older, you’d help cut grape bunches, and once you were a teenager, your job was to carry the baskets either to the cart or the truck to take them to the winery.
When I finished my studies at school, I was unsure what I wanted to do in life. I enjoyed science, biology, and chemistry. Along with a friend, I discovered that there was an enology school in Spain where we could study vineyards and winemaking—viticulture and enology as we know them today.
After finishing my studies and a brief stint in Orense, making white wines, I joined Bodegas Protos in Ribera del Duero. I worked in various areas of the company and eventually became Technical Director until, in 1997, I joined PradoRey, led by D. Alfonso Velasco, to launch a project involving 500 hectares of vineyards and a large winery.
In 2007, after gaining over 20 years of experience, I decided to start my own winemaking project alongside Luis Alvarez and Alfonso Velasco Jr., both of whom I had worked closely with in the past.”
The project’s origin was painful, as it began after the passing of my aunt Esther in 2020 due to COVID-19. I inherited a vineyard from my great-grandfather Mariano, which had been completely abandoned and untouched for approximately 50 years.
I was amazed that the surviving vines produced exceptionally high-quality grapes that could endure long periods in the field without rotting, even when they were on wet soil or pecked by birds. I began their recovery with one clear principle: no chemical treatments would be applied to the plants or the soil.
Although the vineyard’s planting date is unknown, it was officially registered in 1920. Today, only about 40% of the registered vines have survived.
After witnessing this, I decided to produce wine from these grapes in the 2021 harvest through microvinification, and the results were extraordinary. This marked the beginning of the Ergo Atlantis project.
Since then, we have sought out abandoned vineyards with unique personalities, which we work to recover—a challenging task. Currently, we have added three additional vineyards to my great-grandfather Mariano’s.
Enological Philosophy
Ángel Luis Margüello, the winemaker and technical director of Ergo Atlantis, is the creative force and soul behind every bottle of SangReal. His enological philosophy, rooted in a deep connection to nature, respect for tradition, and an unrelenting pursuit of perfection, guides every aspect of the winemaking process.
Respect for the Terroir:
The character of a wine is profoundly influenced by the qualities of the place where its grapes are grown. Each vineyard has its own personality, shaped by its soil, climate, and natural surroundings. Ángel Luis’ goal is to allow these characteristics to be fully expressed in every bottle of wine.
Sustainability and Environmental Care:
He promotes farming practices that respect and protect the environment, using organic and biodynamic methods to cultivate the vines. This approach not only improves the vineyard’s health but also ensures that future generations can continue to enjoy high-quality wines.
Innovation and Experimentation:
While he deeply respects traditional techniques, Ángel Luis is not afraid to innovate and experiment. His use of experimental microvinifications and laboratory analysis of unknown varieties reflects his commitment to innovation.
Passion for the History and Culture of Wine:
Ángel Luis combines a reverence for the historical and cultural aspects of winemaking with a drive to continually refine his methods, ensuring that every wine produced at Ergo Atlantis is a masterpiece.
Enología ... y mucho más
El papel de Ángel Luis Margüello en Ergo Atlantis es integral y multifacético. Como enólogo y director técnico, lidera todas las etapas del proceso de elaboración del vino, desde la recuperación de los viñedos hasta la vinificación y el embotellado.
Recuperación de Viñedos:
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Ángel Luis está a la vanguardia de nuestros esfuerzos por resucitar viñedos olvidados. Su conocimiento y experiencia son cruciales para evaluar el estado de las vides, desarrollar estrategias de recuperación y aplicar técnicas de cultivo que revitalicen estas plantas históricas. Su enfoque meticuloso y su atención al detalle aseguran que cada viña pueda alcanzar su máximo potencial.
Vinificación:
- En la bodega, Ángel Luis supervisa el proceso de vinificación, combinando su conocimiento tradicional con técnicas modernas para crear vinos que son tanto auténticos como innovadores. Su habilidad para seleccionar y mezclar variedades de uvas antiguas es esencial para producir SangReal, un vino que refleja la complejidad y la riqueza de su origen.
Innovación y Desarrollo:
- Ángel Luis impulsa la investigación y el desarrollo en Ergo Atlantis, fomentando una cultura de innovación que busca constantemente mejorar la calidad del vino. Sus colaboraciones con universidades y centros de investigación enológicos permiten a Ergo Atlantis estar a la vanguardia de la viticultura y la enología.
Educación y Formación:
- Ángel Luis también juega un papel clave en la educación y formación de nuestro equipo y la comunidad local. A través de charlas y programas de capacitación, comparte su conocimiento y pasión por la viticultura sostenible y la enología de calidad, inspirando a una nueva generación de viticultores y enólogos.
Innovación y Experimentación
Aunque tiene un profundo respeto por las técnicas tradicionales, Ángel Luis no teme innovar y experimentar. Utiliza tecnología avanzada y métodos científicos para entender mejor las uvas y el proceso de vinificación. Las microvinificaciones experimentales y el análisis en laboratorio de variedades desconocidas son ejemplos de su compromiso con la innovación.
