Castilla y Leon Flashcards
(40 cards)
What is the largest autonomia of Spain?
What does it translate to?
Castilla y Leon “Old Castle”. Includes a number of fortifications built to repel the Moors in the early Middle Ages.
The dynastic union of Castilla y León and Aragon through marriage in the 15th century led to the birth of the Kingdom of Spain.
What is the climate of Castilla y Leon?
Continental, slightly moderated by its proximity to the Atlantic and Mediterranean, but still subject to extreme highs and lows.
What river flows through the center of Castilla y Leon?
What direction?
What 5 regions does it flow through?
Duero River flows westward passing the DOs of Ribera del Duero, Rueda, Toro, Tierra del Vino de Zamora, and finally Arribes on its path towards Portugal.
What arid central plateau makes up the northern part of Castila y Leon?
Meseta Central and the mountains that encircle it.
What is the main red grape of Bierzo?
Min of grape variety?
min 70% Mencía (50% for rosado)
What river runs through Bierzo DO
Sil River
Who achevied fame in Bierzo for old vine Mencía?
Alvaro Palacios and his nephew Ricardo Palacios in 1999 with their biodynamic “Corullón” bottlings: extracted, old-vine Mencía-based wines sourced from mountainside schist soils.
What white wine grapes are found in Bierzo?
Godello and Doña Blanca show more promise, Palomino still dominates the vineyards.
What style is found in Tierra de León DO?
Produces reds, whites , and rosados.
- Recommended red grapes: Mencía and the local Prieto Picudo
- Recommended white grapes: Verdejo, Albarín Blanco, Godello
What two towns does Ribera del Duero DO surround?
Aranda de Duero and Peñafiel “pay-na-FEEL”
Who founded Vega Sicilia and when?
Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves in 1864
When did Vega Scilia acheive world wide recognition?
In 1929, following an ownership change and a transition to estate-bottled table wines, new winemaker Domingo Txomin achieved international acclaim at the Barcelona World’s Fair with his 1917 and 1918 vintages of Único, Vega Sicilia’s benchmark wine.
What is Único?
When was it not produced?
The flagship wine of Vega Secilia. It is a blend of Tinto del País (Tempranillo), Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot and aged, often for a decade or more in American and French oak barrel
Not produced in 1993, 1997, 2001, 2007
When did Ribera del Duero achieve DO status?
1982
Name three cult wine estates from Ribero Del Duero.
Vega Sicilia
Dominio de Pingus (1995)
Aalto in Valladolid
What two synonyms are used for tempranillo in Ribera del Duero?
Tinto del País and Tinto Fino
What is the only white grape allowed in Ribero del Duero?
The early-ripening white Albillo grape, permitted for freshness in the rosado wines
What is vin joven?
Young wines. Wines that do not meet the standard aging requirements for crianza
What are the four provinces of Ribera del Duero?
- -Valladolid- Westernmost; “golden mile”
- -Burgos-Northernmost, home to approximately 80% of the DO’s vineyards
- -Soria- Easternmost; least populated province in Spain and the highest, coldest area in the DO.
- -Segovia
What is the aging requirements for Ribera del Duero Rosado and Tinto?
Rosado:
Crianza min. 18 months (6 months in oak; 225 liter)
***reserva and gran reserva Tinto only
Tinto:
Crianza-2 years (1 year in cask; 225 liter)
Reserva-3 years (1 year in cask)
Gran Reserva-2 years and 3 years in bottle for a total of 5 years
When did Rueda become a DO?
1980
What styles are produced in Rueda?
Blanco: min. 50% Verdejo
Varietal Verdejo and Sauvignon: min. 85% respective grape variety
Rosado: min. 50% red varieties
Tinto: Tempranillo
Vino Espumoso: min. 50% Verdejo for seco or semiseco, min. 85% Verdejo for brut or brut nature
Rueda Dorado (Vino de Licor) -Dry fortified, oxidized wine.
Who revived the Verdejo grape 1970s in Rueda?
Marqués de Riscal. The Verdejo grape, easily prone to oxidation, worked as a fresh, crisp counterpart to their red Rioja.
What styles are found in Toro DO?
Red, white and rosado wines
Red: 75% Tinta de Toro (local strain of Tempranillo)
White: Verdejo or Malvasia
Rosado: Saignee blends of Tinto de Toro and Garnacha.