Alvar de Dios Vaguera Castilla y Leon Dona Blanca 2022
Alvar de Dios Vaguera Castilla y Leon Dona Blanca
Region: Castilla y Leon, Spain
Vintage: 2022
Bottle size: 75cl
Grape: Dona Blanca
ABV: 13%
This wine is bright yellow with golden reflections. The distinguished nose presents aromas of stone fruits, a hint of sweet spice and delicate floral notes. On the palate, the wine is smooth and elegant with a well rounded and persistent finish.
Located between the border of Zamora and Salamanca, the El Maderal vineyard is noteworthy for its high altitude, with vineyards planted 950 metres above sea level. The vines were planted in 1920 on a north-facing plot composed of red, iron-rich clay and limestone soil, and are surrounded by a large cork oak forest, which protects the vines from extensive sun exposure. Abandoned in 2003, this vineyard fell into disrepair before Álvar recognised its potential and spent two years restoring it.
The grapes were pressed and transferred into oak barrels, between 225 - 900 litres in size, for fermentation with indigenous yeasts. Following malolactic fermentation, the wine was then aged for 12 months in the same oak barrels. The wine was then transferred to concrete, where it spent a couple of months prior to bottling without fining or filtration.
Álvar de Dios Hernández is a Toro native who grew up among his grandfather's old vineyards in the village of El Pego. Before becoming the custodian of these vines in 2008, Álvar spent several years in Sierra de Gredos, where he worked with Fernando Garcia and Dani Landi. The area underwent a winemaking revolution at this time, which led to Álvar and others adopting a more Burgundian approach to production by focusing on single vineyard and ‘village’ wines.