Verdejo “Rey Santo” 2023 – Javier Sanz

To produce Verdejo “Rey Santo” Javier Sanz, harvest took place in the cool of the night in order to preserve the freshness and aromatics in the fruit. The Verdejo “Rey Santo” Javier Sanz  grapes were destemmed, before must extraction took place via pneumatic press. A long, slow fermentation took place in temperature controlled stainless steel vats at less than 15°C to retain the aromatics and purity of fruit, lasting up to four weeks.

Javier Sanz’s vineyards are laid out in a mosaic of plots and small vineyards all within the Valladolid municipality of La Seca. Painstaking work takes place in the vineyard to ensure the best quality grapes are grown and yields are kept low: severe winter pruning; debudding and deleafing to help ripening and crop thinning to reduce yields and maintain high quality fruit. The continental climate, with its large diurnal temperature swings, sees the high daytime temperatures tumble by up to 20 degrees at night. The cold winters and rains in spring and autumn help the grapes to reach the characteristic acidity Verdejo is known for. The estate-grown vines are planted in gravelly, pebbly soils, which are poor in organic matter and have good drainage, the perfect combination for the Vedejo variety. The viticultural processes value quality over quantity, and as such the health and vigour of the vineyards are constantly monitored.