ES: Duero River Valley Flashcards
Bierzo DO: important moderating features, lay of the land
- Sierra de los Ancares block Atlantic influence
- River Sil (tributary of the Miño)
- 450 - 800M, natural amphitheater
- Alta Bierzo (mountains & valleys), Baja Bierzo (wide flat plain)
Est 1989: Jose Luis Prada, Rafael Perez, Alvaro & Rafael Palacios
% of grapes from stated origin for Bierzo village and paraje wines?
100%
Bierzo Climate
Moderate continental, elevated rainfall & humidity
* ~27in rain avg
* 2200 sunshine hours, avg
Bierzo soils
short answer: slate in the hills, silty loam in the flats
- Alto Bierzo: quartz, slate
- Baja Bierzo: deeper clay alluvial/silty loam in the flat lower elevation
Est 1989: Jose Luis Prada, Rafael Perez, Alvaro & Rafael Palacios. Palacios’ were drawn to the Priorat-like schist slopes
Bierzo’s major river? thing that blocks Atlantic winds?
Sil River
Sierra de los Ancares/
Cordillera Cantabrica shelters from north
Palacios’ top single vineyard Bierzo
Moncerbal
Las Lamas
La Faraona
- Villa de Corullon is a blend of all the village’s grand cru vineyards
- up to 1200M, slate slopes
Raul Perez top Bierzo vineyards
El Rapolao, La Vitoriana, La Palousa, Las Gundiñas
(villageof Valtuille de Abajo)
Bierzo classifications
- Vino de Villa: 20% less yields; 100% from site
- Vino de Paraje: 25% less; 100% from site
- Viña Clasificada: 30% less; can use with approval for Paraje wine labelled as such for at least 5 years
- Gran Viña Clasificada: 35% less; Clasificada for at least 5 years first
Waiting period for Bierzo Vino de Paraje to elevate to Viña Clasificada? for Gran Viña?
5 years on label between each step in the quality pyramid
Bierzo elevation range?
450 to 800M
Spanish equivalent term to lieux dit
paraje
What styles of wine are made in Bierzo?
White, rosé, red
Vino Clarete: red/white direct to press with 5-10% destemmed in fermentation
Bierzo Blanco grapes (4)
Doña Blanca
Godello
Malvasia Riojana
Palomino
*authorized whites for assemblage only
Bierzo Tinto
Min. 85% authorized red grapes:
1. Mencía
2. Alicante Bouschet
3. Esaldiña
4. Merenzao
(and/or)
+ Auth whites (Doña Blanca, Godello, Malvasia Riojana, Palomino)
Bierzo producers
Descendientes de Jose Palacios
Raul Perez
Losada
del Abad
Aurea
Godelia
Castroventosa
1st DO in Castilla y Leon
Rueda DO (1980)
*Ribera del Duero not until 1982
Rueda Blanco DO
- principal varieties
- blenders (4)
Min. 50% principals: Sauvignon Blanc, Verdejo
Authorized: Palomino Fino, Viognier, Chardonnay, Viura
*2020 changes added Chard, Viognier & mandated it could be Sauv Blanc OR Verdejo
Rueda producers
Rioja guys in Rueda: Marques de Riscal, Marques de Caceres, Cune
Bodegas Protos
Bodegas Naia
Bodegas José Pariente
Bodegas Shaya
Ossian
Campo Eliseo (Lurton x Rolland)
Gran Vino de Rueda
- vine age requirement
- yields
- 1st year in use
- Made from vines that are at least 30 years old
- yields restricted to 6500kg/ha, no more than 65% of press can be selected
- 2020 vintage on
Shaya Habis
Martinsancho
Bela
** black label
For Rueda Vino de Pueblo, what % must from from said Pueblo?
85%
Modern Rueda DO’s heros?
Marques de Riscal with consultant Emile Peynaud
Rueda’s red wines - grapes?
Principal: Tempranillo
Authorized: Cab Sauv, Merlot, Garnacha Tinta, Syrah
*100% from these grapes
Rueda Espumoso Blanco varieties?
Min. 75% “principal varieties”
Sauvignon Blanc and/or Verdejo
- Min 9 months on lees
- Gran Añada = 36 months on lees
Rueda’s historical wine styles
Vino de Licor
Rueda Pálido/Dorado
* min 15% ABV
* 100% combined Palomino Fino and/or Verdejo
* Dorado (oxidative): Min. 4 years w/ 2 in wood
* Palido (flor): min. 3 years aged biologically
% of grapes from said origin for Rueda Vino de Pueblo wine?
min. 85%
(of the 4 with Vi di Villa/Vino de Pueblo designations.. lowest mandate. The rest are 100%)
Rueda soils
Gravelly with high limestone content
Rueda climate
Continental
- lots of sun, low rainfall
- some influence from Mediterranean and Atlantic? But Cordillera Cantábrica blocks most of Atlantic influence
- hail, winds and freezing fog are all threats
- up to 50º diurnal shift
Rueda Plantings
13,500ha total
- 96% devoted to whites
- 87% of vineyard is Verdejo
- 6% is Sauv Blanc
Verdejo
- buds/ripens early
- tends to be drought-resistant
- highly susceptible to powdery mildew
- possibly sibling of Godello?
Ribera del Duero’s hero
- Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves
est Vega Sicilia, 1864. Bordeaux-trained, brought Cab, Merlot, Malbec - Alejandro Fernández: modern renaissance. Condado do Haza/Pesquera - 1970/80’s
Ribera del Duero “Cosecha”
Cosecha = harvest
* Means the wine doesn’t abide by existing aging specifications but meets or exceeds classification requirements
** Unico uses Cosecha on label
Ribera del Duero provinces
- Valladolid: clay, limestone. Flat. The biggest names are here (Sicilia, Pesquera, Protos,etc)
- Burgos: sandier, less limestone. Higher elevation, cooler temps. Lots of producers here too.
- Soria: most limestone. 900 - 1000M. Dominio de Atauta
- Segovia: only reaches into DO; 2 wineries here: Bodegas Severino Sanz and Bodega Aldekoa. Calcareous clay, sand
Tempranillo in Ribera del Duero
- derived from Spanish word for “early”
- early budding, early ripening - ideal for short growing season in RdB
- older variety, higher levels of genetic mutation. Biotypes in RdB have adapted to the extremes
Ribera del Duero soils
Sedimentary
- 35 different types
- mainly sandy, silty-sandy, and clay-sandy
- Layers of limestone/ calcareous outcrops are distinctive features
Short answer: sandy soils that are sometimes mixed with chalk and limestone and sometimes more alluvial
Ribera del Duero climate
Extreme
Continental
* dry summers, long harsh winters, low rainfall (15 - 19in yr)
* plantings between 700 and 1000M = big diurnal shift
* ~ 2550 sunshine hours/year
Ribera del Duero synonyms for Tempranillo
Tinto Fino
Tinto del Pais
Ribera del Duero Blanco assemblage
Added 2019
min. 75% Albilla Mayor
*the pliego mentions Alarije (Pirulés), Pirulé, and Chasselas Doré as blending components?? but I think for vines planted before 1982
Ribera del Duero Tinto assemblage
- min % Tempranillo
- authorized blenders (5)
Min. 75% Tempranillo (sole recommended grape)
Authorized blenders:
Garnacha
Malbec
Merlot
Cabernet Sauvignon
Albillo Mayor
Ribera del Duero “Roble”
min. 3 months in oak, max 600L capacity (vs 330L max for longer elevage)
Ribera del Duero aging requirements for Blanco/Rosado/Clarete styles?
Crianza: 18 (6 in wood)
Reserva: 24 (6 in wood)
Gran Reserva: 48 (6 in wood)
max capacity 330L
**same as Rioja
Ribera del Duero Tinto aging requirements?
Crianza: 2yrs (1yr in wood)
Reserva: 3yrs (1yr in wood)
Gran Reserva: 5yrs (2 in wood)
max. oak capacity 330L
Dominant vine training method in Ribera del Duero?
En Vaso aka Bush Vine
55% of the region is bush vine. To the west where the land flattens and soils are heavier clay, trellised vines are more common
Ribera del Duero elevation
700 to 1000M
Most plantings are between 800 - 850
Vega Sicilia
- founder
- top wine
- other projects
Est 1864, Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves
* introduced BDX varieties to RdB
Reserva Especial: rarest wine. Blend of 3 vintages
* Unico (1915, 1st vintage): ~ 80 - 97 % Tempranillo + Cab, Merlot, Malbec
** lately… 90 - 97% Tempranillo with just a small balance of Cab
More uniform since the 80’s - typically 6yrs in barrel, 4yrs in bottle. Ages in 50% new French & 50% 1-4 yr old Amrican
** Labels “Cosecha”
Macan (Rothschilds, Rioja), Oremus (Tokaj), Pintia (Toro), Valbuena (RdB)
Abadia Retuerta
Sardon de Duero
* 5 miles from Vega Sicilia but not in the DO
* Valdebellon (Cab), Negralada, Garduña
* Spain’s 23rd DO Pago (2022)
Ribera del Duero vintages since 2010
EXCELLENT: 2010, 2015, 2019
All others except 2013 were very good.
BAD: 2013 was a cool year with light wines. 2006 was the weakest vintage previous to 2010.
Dominio del Pingus
Peter Sisseck, Ribera del Duero
1st vintage - 1995
Top Ribera del Duero producers
Aalto
Mauro
Alion
Pingus
Vega Sicilia
Valdubon
100% Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero
Pingus
Aalto
Emilio Moro
Arlanza DO
Castilla y Leon
*similar to RdB - severely continental, clay and sand. Albillo Mayor and Tempranillo-based wines
DO Pagos of Castilla y Leon?
- Urueña
- Dehesa Peñalba
- Abadía-Retuerta
Cigales DO
Castilla y Leon
* Pisguera River
* 700-800M; limestone soils
* historically known for rosado/clarete styles
Toro DO
- styles
- elevation
- climate
- grapes
Castilla y Leon
W/R/R
* 620 - 840M
* CLIMATE: continental, dry, extreme
* REDS: min. 75% Tempranillo OR min 85% Garnacha
* WHITES: Verdejo, Malvasia “Castellana”, MPG, Albillo Real
60% of vines here are ungrafted
