ES: Central Plateau (Castila la Mancha, Madrid, Extremadura)

Question 1

Vinos de Madrid DO subzones

Answer 1

1. Arganda: largest; Tempranillo
2. Navalcarnero: flat, loamy. Garnacha, Malvar
3. San Martín de Valdeiglesias: Garnacha on granite, protected by Sierra de Gredos
4. El Molar: added in 2019

Question 2

Vinos de Madrid “sobremadre”

Answer 2

W/R. Post-Fermentation maceration of 90 - 180 days, keeping at least 25% of the skins and the lees (madre). Bottled without fining/filtering.

Question 3

Sierra de Gredos soil type

Answer 3

Granite

Question 4

Vinos de Madrid DO climate & elevation

Answer 4

Elevation ranges 500 - 800M
Climate: continental and dry. San Martin’s position in mountains is the rainiest - with about 17 in/yr

Question 5

Commando G top crus

Answer 5

• Rumbo al Norte
• Tumbo del Ray Moro
• El Tamboril
• Las Umbrias

[Ch. Rayas is the inspiration]

Question 6

Castilla La Mancha traditional planting system- why?

Answer 6

Marco Real: vines spaced 2.5M to reduce competition for water

Question 7

Meaning of Castilla la Mancha name

Answer 7

al-mansha = “parched earth”

Question 8

General elevation range of Castilla la Mancha

Answer 8

500 - 700M

Question 9

Castilla la Mancha rivers (5)

Answer 9

Tagus
Guadiana, Guadalquivir
Jucar, Segura

Question 10

Castilla La Mancha most important white/red

Answer 10

Airen
Cencibel (Tempranillo)

Question 11

Castilla la Mancha synonym for Tempranillo

Answer 11

Cencibel

Question 12

Ribera del Jucár DO

Answer 12

Castilla La Mancha
* Tempranillo, Moscatel de Grano Menudo, Sauvignon Blanc

Question 13

Manchuela DO
- location and features
- climate
- most planted grapes

Answer 13

Castilla La Mancha
* “Lesser La Mancha” - split from La Mancha DO to get away from bulk rep
* sits between Jucár & Cabriel River valleys. 600 - 700M - flat.
* Continental climate, but milder than areas around thanks to moisture bearing winds from Levant.

Bobal #1, Macabeo (reflects proximity to Utiel Requena)

Question 14

Almansa DO

Answer 14

Castilla La Mancha
* avg 700M, limestone soils
* Monastrell #1, Garnacha, Tempranillo, Cab Sauv

[borders Yecla, Jumilla, Alicante - stylistically and geographically similar]

Question 15

Valdepeñas DO

Answer 15

Castilla La Mancha
- “Valley of the Rocks”
- Airen, Tempranillo
- historically known for Clarete/Aloque

Question 16

Méntrida DO

Answer 16

Castilla La Mancha
* Garnacha (80%)
* sandy granitic soils, extreme continental climate
* Gredos Mountains offer some protection

Dominio de Valdepusa is here

Question 17

Uclés DO

Answer 17

Castilla La Mancha
* newer, est 2005

unimportant so far

Question 18

Mondéjar DO

Answer 18

Castilla La Mancha
* Tagus River

unimportant

Question 19

Extremadura
-the 1 DO
- that DO’s most important subzone
- non-wine important products

Answer 19

1 DO: Ribera del Guadiana
** Tierra de Barros = most important subzone, 4/5 of vineyard area
* Jason Iberico, big cork production area
(Alentejo is just to the west)
* important source of base wine for brandy production

Question 20

Campo de Calatrava DO
- where
- what’s special

Answer 20

Castilla-La Mancha & one of Spain’s newest DO’s (2024)
* sits on Campo de Calatrava Volcanic field, a site of 240 volcanic formations. Most significant volcanic soils on the Iberian peninsula
* 700 - 900M
* 13k hectares, 8 registered wineries

Question 21

Spanish synonyms for Tempranillo

Answer 21

• Cencibel (Castilla la Mancha, Madrid, Aragon, Murcia)
• Tinto del Pais, Tinto Fino (Castilla y Leon)
• Ull de Llebre (Catalunya)

Question 22

Arganda

Answer 22

Vinos de Madrid DO
* largest subzone - 60% of DO’s production
* clay/lime soils
* Tinto Fino, Malvar

Question 23

San Martin de Valdeiglesias

Answer 23

Vinos de Madrid DO subzone
* 35% of vineyard area
* Garnacha, Albillo Real
* Sierra de Gredos = granite

Commando G, Bernabeleva, 4 Monos

Question 24

Spanish term for provignage

Answer 24

Acodo
* don’t forget that provignage/acodo are a work around to have own-rooted vines since direct replanting in the EU (always?) requires phylloxera-resistant rootstock

Question 25

Largest DO in Spain - most planted grapes here?

Answer 25

La Mancha DO
- 195k hectares - for comparison, all of Australia Vineyard area is 146k
- Airen, Cencibel dominate

Question 26

Spanish synonym for Alicante Bouschet

Answer 26

Garnacha Tintorera

Question 27

Castilla La Mancha DOs - name 3

Answer 27

1. La Mancha DO
2. Almansa DO
3. Manchuela DO
4. Ribera de Jucar DO
5. Ucles DO
6. Campo de Calatrava DO
7. Mentrida DO
8. Mondejar DO
9. Valdepenas DO

Question 28

Regions of Spain’s Maseta Central

Answer 28

• Extremadura (Ribera de Guadiana DO)
• Castila La Mancha (9 DO’s)
• Madrid (Vinos de Madrid DO)

Question 29

DO Pagos of Spain’s Maseta Central - name 3

Answer 29

• Dominio de Valdepusa
• Finca Elez
• Guijoso
• Dehesa del Carrizal
• Campo de la Guardia
• Pago Florentino
• Casa del Blanco
• Calzadilla
• Vallegarcía
• La Jaraba
• Los Cerrillos
• El Vicario
• Rosalejo
• all in Castilla La Mancha, no Extremadura or Madrid

Question 30

Dominio de Valdepusa viticultural accomplishments

Answer 30

• 1st winery in the world to use drip irrigation
• 1st Spanish Syrah and Petit Verdot, planted under Michel Rolland’s guidance
• hired Aussie Richard Smart to design canopy system - increased quality

Question 31

Dominio de Valdepusa top wine

Answer 31

Emeritus
- 80% Cab Sauv + Petit Verdot, Syrah