This wine, made 100% from grapes of the Verdejo vine, comes from an old estate vineyard located in the Montico district of Rueda. This is a typical poor, stony, gritty-soiled terroir which is ideal for producing the highest quality Rueda Verdejo varietal wines. Yield is very low, with only around 5,000 kilos per hectare and harvesting is performed by hand into small crates with a capacity of 25 kilos. When the grapes reach the winery, they are cooled and gently pressed without crushing or removing stems. This kind of pressing of whole clusters reduces oxidation of the must to a minimum and helps keep all the aromatic intensity intact. In this way it is possible to obtain free run juice
in very small quantities but of an extremely high quality. Next the must is run off or lightly decanted and passes into the fermentation tanks. Fermentation then takes place with the presence of only indigenous yeast strains. This peculiarity gives the wine greater aromatic personality and an original character. After fermentation is complete and a first racking, the wine remains in contact with its fine lees for at least four months. These lees, or remains of inert yeast, are stirred at least once per week so as to remain in suspension.
Over a period of time the lees give off a series of compounds which increase the body, smoothness and complexity of the wine and improve its aromatic stability during the time spent in the bottle. These are white wines which, while not fermented in the cask, remain fresh and youthful for a longer time. The 2008 harvest was characterised by the abundant precipitation
statistics, with 394 litres/m2. The winter rainfall accumulated between
October and March (175 litres/m2) provided sufficient reserves of
water, leading to even, vigorous budbreak. This proceeded smoothly,
thanks to the mild temperatures during April and a total absence of
spring frosts. In May, the cold weather and abundant rainfall delayed
flowering and the vegetative cycle. During flowering, the low
temperatures and constant rain led to a few problems of coulure,
particularly in the Verdejo variety. As a result, the yield per hectare
was 35% lower. July and August proved to be cool, dry, sunny
months, with hardly any stress from lack of water thanks to the
abundant spring rains. The low temperatures slowed the ripening
process so that harvesting began later then in previous years. The mild
temperatures at the end of August and until mid September allowed
for better and slower ripening of the grapes, so that the must obtained
was fresh and aromatic. Harvesting proceeded smoothly and the
grapes were in excellent sanitary condition. The Verdejo grape, thanks
to its thick, tough skin, was able to better withstand the pressure of rot
caused by further abundant rainfall in October. The white wines
obtained had excellent aromatic intensity, good acidity and moderate
alcoholic strength, which promise perfect evolution in the bottle. On
the palate, they have good volume and persistence, thanks to the
reduction in the yield. A greenish-yellow wine. The nose has a marked Verdejo varietal aroma
with medium intensity and hints of fennel, mixed herbs, white blossom,
pear and peach. It has a fresh, oily, very smooth mouth-feel, with a long, round finish. Its good acidity together with a period of ageing on its finest lees help to keep its fresh taste longer and preserves all its aromatic complexity. It is not a wine which tries to impress you with an explosion on the nose, but rather reveals an elegant, more complex varietal character. These are wines which can even still be enjoyed 24-30 months after they were harvested. |
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