
3 minute read
TERROIR
from South Region

Palacio Quemado is located in the Tierra de Barros subzone of Extremadura. It has a hot, semi-continental climate with influence from the Atlantic Ocean. Rains are concentrated in the winter; summers are quite dry.
The landscape of the estate is complemented by large areas of Mediterranean forest, where cork and holm oaks predominate. The vineyard sits in a Special Protection Area for birds and is home to eagles, kestrels and waterfowl.



There are diverse soil types across the estate’s 21 plots, including red clay, limestone and sand. The red soils are luvisol, which develops on gentle slopes or plains, and in climates where there are well-defined dry and wet seasons. The term derives from the Latin word lure, which means to wash, referring to the washing of clay from the upper layers to where it accumulates in the lower layers. Its distinct red color comes from iron oxides.


PalacioQuemadoisintentonmakingmemorableandexcitingwineswiththecharacterofExtremaduraandLaRaya.Many ofthetraditionalvarietiestheyplantedin1999ripenlater,andresistheatanddrought.TrincadeiraPreta,TourigaNacional, Touriga Franca, Alfrocheiro and Arinto are able to maintain freshness and good acidity without overripe flavors. Grapes like Trincadeira Preta actually need the heat and sun to achieve proper maturity, while their natural acidity is an important part ofafinalblend.

Expressive Winemaking
Palacio Quemado understands that quality wines are born of viticulture and vinification: only when varieties are well-adapted to the terroir and when the winemaker makes use of the best oenological practices are the wines truly expressive.Inthisspirit,PalacioQuemadotailorswinemakingtomakemoreclassiccrianzaandreserva-stylewinesagedin American and French oak barrels. However, in signature wines like La Raya and La Zarcita, whole clusters are vinified in concreteandfoudrestopreservethefruit-forwardcharacterandroundoutthetanninswithoutoakinfluence.Eachofthese vessels imparts a different character, texture and personality to the fruit, allowing the estate to give specific identities to everywine.
Palacio Quemado continues to research the best clones for the microclimate of the estate, focusing on several clones of Tempranillo and Garnacha Tintorera. The main focus will be on selecting for resistance to hydric stress, a major issue in Extremadura recently.


Howistheterroirreflectedinthe winesofPalacioQuemado?
Hot summers and light Atlantic influence give the wines a profile of ripe fruit and silky tannins. Using traditional regional varieties, the nose of their wines is lively and bright, avoiding the raisin and dried fig aromas of overripe grapes. The dry summers also reduce vine diseases, keeping sulfur treatments to a bareminimum.
The clay-rich soils are important in such a hot climate for retention of winter rains, which supports a steady ripening process. The calcareous stones or calcareous bedrock (depending on the plot) help to maintainacidityandaddfreshnesstothewines.
SingularitiesoftheWinery
The history of the Palacio Quemado is one of innovation and differentiation through a broader perspective of the land, looking for quality references such as the viticulture of the Alentejo rooted in the terroir of Tierra de Barros and La Raya. The research into the cultivation and vinification of Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional, Alfrocheiro, Arinto (and others) is creatingauniqueexpressionofthepago.
WhyisPalacioQuemadoaGrandes PagosdeEspañawinery?
Palacio Quemado´s wines embody the character of La Raya, where Alentejo meets Extremadura. They joined GPE to collaborate with other wineries to lead in the pursuit of terroir-driven, single-vineyard wines. They arecurrentlytheonlyGPEwineryinExtremadura.



Portfolio

PALACIOQUEMADO:
La Raya, La Zarcita, Crianza, Reserva, Vendimia Seleccionada

LaRaya
VdT Extremadura
Varieties
100% Trincadeira
Vinification


Whole clusters fermented in concrete. Malolactic fermentation in 500 L barrels, 18 months aging in 500 L and 5,000 L fudres
GoodtoKnow
Single-vineyard wine
GoodtoKnow
Best fruit from selected parcels to represent the best of the terroir
PALACIOQUEMADO
Ctra. Almendralejo-Palomas Km 6,9 06840 Alange
Badajoz
ALVEAR.ES/PALACIO-QUEMADO
@PALACIOQUEMADO
Contact:OscarBayo palacioquemado@alvear.es
As one of the only houses in Spain producing single-vineyard sherry and with a pedigree stretching back to the 13th century, Valdespino’s reputation for ethereal sherry is well-earned. Cultivating the famed Macharnudo vineyard – a high altitude plot of pure albariza soil – Valdespino’s sherry is deeply expressive of place and history. Now a part of the esteemed Grupo Estévez (Marqués del Real Tesoro and La Guita), Valdespino is rightly known as the high watermark for sherry production.



KEYFACTS
CLIMATE: Warm southern climate with Atlantic influence; average annual temperature 68°F (18°C)
ELEVATION:443 feet(135m)
SOILS: Albariza–calciumcarbonate,clayand silicaandsubsoilchalklayer
VINE: 407 acres (165 ha) in total; 49 acres (20 ha) are GPE-approved

KEYVARIETALS:PalominoFino

ECO: 20 acres (8 ha) of certified organic vineyard
CLASS: DOJerez-Xérès-Sherry
History
Valdespino is one of the oldest wineries in Jerez, with an origin that reaches back to the 13th century. For his service in the Reconquest of Jerez de la Frontera, Don Alfonso Valdespino was granted lands and estates where he began cultivating vines. The estate as we know it today was incorporated in 1875. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Valdespino earned international acclaim, becoming official purveyors of Spanish and Swedish royal families. In 1999, Valdespino was acquired by the Estévez family, owners of the La Guita and Marqués del Real Tesoro wineries.
INNOVATE: The only winery in Jerez still making single-vineyard and barrel-fermented wines

