Alvar de Dios Tio Uco Castilla y Leon Tempranillo Garnacha 2023
Alvar de Dios Tio Uco Castilla y Leon Tempranillo Garnacha
Region: Castilla y Leon, Spain
Vintage: 2023
Bottle size: 75cl
Grape: Tempranillo Garnacha
ABV: 14.5%
Bright ruby in colour, the nose is full of red fruits and complemented by complex nuances of balsamic and spice. The palate is well rounded, full of juicy red fruits and balanced with an excellent acidity.
The grapes were sourced from three vineyards in El Pego. The vines are between 25 and 93 years old and are planted at 800 metres above sea level, meaning the vineyards of El Pego are some of the highest in the region. The vines benefit from a sandstone layer which sits beneath the sandy soils, which provides the sustenance for the vines to adapt and thrive, despite the region's semi-arid climate.
Once hand harvested and transported to the winery, the grapes underwent whole bunch fermentation using indigenous yeasts in stainless steel vats. The wine was then aged in oak foudres for 6-8 months.
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.