Castilla y Leon Flashcards
What is Spain’s largest autonomía?
Castilla y León
What is the terrain of Castilla y León?
The Northern edge of the Meseta Central.
What are the DOs of Castilla y León?
Ribera del Duero Rueda Toro Tierra del Vino de Zamora Arribes Arlanza Cigales Tierra de León Bierzo
What river flows through the center of Castilla y León?
The Duero River
What two DOs of Castilla y León are to the north, on the border of Galicia? What grapes dominate?
Tierra de Leon and Bierzo.
Recommended grapes in Tierra de Leon
Blanco: min. 50% Verdejo, Albariño, Godello
Tinto/Rosado: min. 60% Mencía, Prieto Picudo
Recommended grapes in Bierzo
Blanco: Doña Blanca, Godello
Rosado: 50% Mencía, plus
Tinto: 70% Mencía plus
Bierzo: Principal soils
Loose alluvials, sand, granite
450-1000M elevation
When did Ribera del Duero acquire DO status?
1982
What are the principal towns of Ribera del Duero?
Aranda de Duero (central)
Peñafiel (west)
What styles are permitted in Ribera del Duero? Authorized grapes?
Red: 75% Tinta del País, max 5% Garnacha, Albillo Mayor
Rosado: 50% authorized red varieties
Tempranillo is the only recommended grape. Garnacha, Malbec, Merlot, Cab Sauv, and Albillo Mayor are also authorized.
Which aging requirements are allowed for Rosado?
Crianza only
When did Rueda achieve DO status?
1980
What is the assemblage for white wines labeled “Rueda?”
min. 50% Verdejo, plus Viura, Sauvignon Blanc, Palomino Fino
What varietal bottlings are permitted in Rueda?
Verdejo
Sauvignon Blanc
What is the major red grape of Rueda?
Tempranillo, plus Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Garnacha
What is the minimum % of red grapes for Rueda Rosado?
50.00%
What styles are permitted for Rueda Espumoso? What is the varietal requirement?
White and Rosado; made via the traditional method. Min. 9mos on the lees
min. 85% Verdejo for Brut/Nature
min. 50% Verdejo for Seco/Semiseco
What is Dorado?
A dry, fortified, oxidative wine from Rueda
Min 15% abv
Aged min 4 years, with 2 in wood
Rueda: aging
Time on Tinto Gran Reserva lines up with Rioja Gran Reserva (24mos in barrel, 36mos in bottle), but the rest of the designations follow general regulations.
What is the most famous product of Toro? What is the varietal makeup?
Red wines, of a minimum 75% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo)
What are the white grapes of Toro?
Verdejo
Malvasia
How is Toro Rosado made?
By saignée, of garnacha and tinta do toro
What styles are permitted to label Crianza/Reserva/Gran Reserva in Toro?
Tinto only
What are the top names in Toro?
Fariña
Numanthia-Termes
What is Vega Sicilia’s Toro offshoot?
Bodegas Pintia
What style wines are made in Tierra del Vino de Zamora? From what grapes?
Reds of min. 75% Tinta de Toro, plus
Rosado: 60% Tempranillo, plus
Clarete: 30% Tempranillo, plus
Whites: 60% Verdejo, Malvasia, Moscatel de grano menudo, plus
Where is Arribes DO?
On the Duero River, at the Portuguese border
What are the grapes of Arribes?
Blanco: 60% Malvasia, plus
Rosado/Tinto: 60% Juan García, Rufete, Tempranillo, plus
What are the two DOs of Castilla y León that lie north of Ribera del Duero?
Cigales DO (Northwest) Arlanza DO (Due North)
What are the wines of Cigales? The encepagement? The style?
Tinto/Rosado: 50% Garnacha and Tinto del Pais; noted for rosado and primeur rosado production.
Whites (min 50% Verdejo), Vino Dulce (tinto/blanco/rosado, 45-90g/L RS), Vino Espumoso also authorized
What styles of wine are produced in Arlanza DO, from what grapes?
Red/Rosé: Tempranillo (min 50%), plus Garnacha, Mencía, Cab Sauv, Petit Verdot, Merlot (white grapes also authorized for rosé)
White: Albilla, Viura
Why are vines in Spain often planted much farther apart than in other major wine regions?
The very dry soil (summer drought is the country’s biggest viticultural hazard) cannot support many vines, so they are spread out to reduce competition.
What happened in 1995 that caused a major shift in Spain’s productivity?
Irrigation was officially legalized.
Who owns Numanthia?
LVMH (2008)
What Toro property is owned by Michel and Dany Rolland?
Campo Eliseo
Red Rueda is often bottled under what appellation?
Vino de la Tierra Castilla y León
What are the four provinces of production in Ribera del Duero?
Valladolid (west, “millla de oro”)
Burgos (central, 80% of the DO’s vineyards)
Soria (east)
Segovia (south)
What is the traditional training in Ribera del Duero?
En Vaso (bush vines), widely spaced - 2,000-2,500 vines per hectare
What is the modern training in Ribera del Duero? Where will you find it?
En Espalier: trellised, Guyot-trained vines. Found in more fertile, low-elevation vineyards, and used to produce joven or rosado wines.
Which is higher in altitude: Rioja or Ribera del Duero? What does this mean for the grapes?
Ribera del Duero. Diurnal shift can be over 50º, retaining acidity in wines that ripen hugely (often over 14, 15%).
Soil types of Ribera del Duero
arenas arcilla (clay) franco (silt) alluvial stones chalk
Do most producers in Ribera del Duero irrigate?
No. It is legal, but only 5% actually use it.
What bodegas on are on the Milla de Oro, and where does it go?
West to East from Tudela de Duero to Peñafiel. Mauro Abadia Retuerta Pingus Vega Sicilia Hacienda Monasteria Alion
