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Rueda is an historic Spanish white wine region named after
the town that straddles the main road from Madrid to León.
The ‘scorched-earth’ policy of the retreating
Moors in the 10th century left this area uninhabited for many
years and the only plant that took to the ravaged soils was
a wild vine that became known as the Verdejo, now considered
the gem of the region. The high altitude of the vineyards,
500-750 metres above sea level, coupled with hot days and
cool nights during the growing season result in grapes that
possess the valuable acidity and aromatic compound flavours
that are crucial in creating white wines of quality and balance.
Bodegas
Hijos de Alberto Gutiérrez is situated in the Castilian
village of Serrada twenty kilometres south of Valladolid on
Spain’s central plateau which is crossed by the River
Duero, a landscape scattered with medieval castles, monasteries,
churches and villages. Their vineyards of Verdejo,
Sauvignon
Blanc, and Viura,
which abut those of DO Ribera del Duero, lie just south of
the River Duero, about 700m above sea level. The Duero has
a considerable influence on the area and the vineyards, which
have a light soil with abundant stones and which enjoy an
extreme continental climate with limited rainfall, on average
400 mm per annum, the majority in autumn.The stern conditions
of very cold winters, followed by spring rains and then dry
and very hot summers of great luminosity form the well-known
character of their wines. The excellent Verdejo, which is
indigenous to DO Rueda, produces some of Spain’s very
best white wines. The Viura and Sauvignon Blanc are also both
used as complementary and varietals.
The
bodega, which has its origins in the 17th century when the
estate belonged to the Black Friars, has brick vaulted cellars
extending one kilometre under the village which are still
used for ageing the wines, and is equipped with the most modern
technology, pneumatic presses, temperature-controlled stainless
steel fermentation tanks, all operating under a strict quality
control to guarantee the production of great quality wines.
It is the largest winery in the region with a capacity of
more than 14 million litres. We are the sole UK agents for
Bodegas Hijos de Alberto Gutiérrez.
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Click on the underlined grape varieties
for more information.
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