I love the wines from Bodegas Arrocal, as their vines are in the higher altitude village of Gumiel de Mercado, where diurnal temperature swings produce more refined wines than in much hotter sections of Ribera de Duero, such as around Valladolid. The 2021...
About the Vineyard Garnacha vineyards of 10 to 15 years old planted on a plateau of the Huecha river. Small parcels of the Tabuenca, Borja, and Pozuelo Vineyards; variying in altitude from 1,200 to 1,400 feet. Wine Production Temperature controlled fer...
From 18 acres of vines growing in a celebrated vineyard named the Fat Sheep.* This is in the adjacent commune of Saint Fiacre, which is the smallest of the 23 communes in the Sèvre et Maine AC and one with some of the best grape growing land. The rocky gneiss soil here is thin, between 6-14 inches deep, in a seam of amphibolite, a greenish metamorphic rock. The vines were planted between 1930 and 1986, and average more than 50 years old. The meager soil and old vines on this small hill give naturally low yields, averaging 45 hl/ha. The wine rests on its lees in underground tanks for twelve to fourteen months. Ripe, round, concentrated and intensely mineral, this wine can age beautifully, developing aromas with bottle age that are a cross between Riesling and Pinot Blanc.