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TERROIR
from South Region
Jerez’s southern climate is shaped by the influence of the Atlantic Ocean. The westerly wind brings ocean humidity, watering the vineyard during the early morning. Average annual rainfall is 24 inches andconcentratedbetweenOctoberandMay.
Macharnudo is arguably Jerez’s greatest vineyard. Its privileged position on a line of hills has a southwest orientation on a 10% slope to take advantage of the cooler western winds and protect itfromthewarmeasterlywinds.
The soil of the vineyard is the archetype of the typical albariza, rich in calcium carbonate (containing up to 40%), clay and silica. Thanks to its high levels of calcium carbonate, its clay texture does not crack. It absorbs rain like a sponge. Then, because of the high heat, the soil forms a crust as it driesthatpowerfullylimitsevaporation.
VITICULTURE&WINEMAKING
MACHARNUDO Valdespino is one of the only Sherry Houses in Spain to make wines from a single vineyard. Vines have been grown in Macharnudo Alto since the 13th century, and Valdespino was well-known for its exceptional qualities by the 19thcentury.Today,thisvineyardistheexclusivesourceforMarcharnudoBarrelFermented,FinoInocente,AmontilladoTio Diego,PaloCortadoCPandPaloCortadoCardenal.
EXCEPTIONAL WINEMAKING AND AGING Torespecttraditionandtheuniquecharacteroftheirgrapes,Valdespinogoes above and beyond in all phases of production. For example, in contrast to most houses in Jerez who ferment in stainless steel and inoculate the flor (yeast veil) to influence final style, Valdespino wines are barrel-fermented in reused oak barrels andallowedtofollowtheirnaturalcourse.
While DO regulations require a fino sherry to age a minimum of two years, Valdespino’s Fino Inocente, which has 10 criaderas, has an average of 10 years under the flor. The additional aging gives the wines a complexity and texture that standapartfromanyotherfinointhefield.AmontilladoTioDiegoalsohasanexceptionalaverageageof17years.
In 2015, Valdespino first produced a still white wine from the Palomino in Macharnudo as an experiment. Today, Marcharnudo Barrel Fermented is a part of their single-vineyard bottlings, and carries the minerality and salinity that this pago is noted for.
Howistheterroirreflectedinthe winesofValdespino?
The calcium carbonate in the Albariza soils of Macharnudo produce very mineral wines. They are savoryandsalinewithlongpersistence.
AnotherkeypartofValdespino’scharacterisfromits velo de flor. Composed of yeasts inherent in the atmosphere and impregnated in the barrels, the product is unique to the conditions of the winery. The character that these factors confer on the fino and amontillado is unmistakable. This velo Inocente to spend up to 10 years being influenced by it. This long biological aging process allows Valdespino to create Amontillado Tio Diego without adding alcohol to provokethetransitiontooxidativeaging.Eventually,the velo dies from lack of nutrients, allowing the oxidative phasetoinitiatenaturally.
SingularitiesoftheWinery
Fino Inocente from the Macharnudo pago is the only Fino still fermented in 500 L oak barrels, instead of the usual large-capacity stainless steel tanks. It is also one of the only wines that has 10 criaderas, instead of the twoorthreethatotherwineriescurrentlyhave
WhyisValdespinoaGrandesPagos
VALDESPINOPORTFOLIO:
Fino Inocente, Amontillado Tio Diego, Palo Cortado Viejo CP, Palo Cortado Cardenal V.O.R.S.
FinoInocente
DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
Varities
100% Palomino Fino
Vinification
Fermentation in oak barrels. Biological aging, average 10 years
GoodtoKnow
Passes through 10 criaderas and soleras
AmontilladoTioDiego
DO Jerez-Xérès-Sherry
Varieties
100% Palomino Fino
Vinification
Fermentation in oak barrels.
Biological and oxidative aging, average age is 17 years
GoodtoKnow
Passes through eight biological criaderas and three oxidative soleras. No second fortification to stop biological aging
VALDESPINO
Ctra. N IV Km 640
11408 Jerez de la Frontera
Cádiz
GRUPOESTEVEZ.ES/VALDESPINO @GRUPOESTEVEZ
Contact:JaimeGil jgm@grupoestevez.com
