MundoVino Portfolio Book

Marqués De Griñon | Mark-Ez Deh Green-Yoan |

VP Dominio de Valdepusa (Castilla-La Mancha), Spain

Marqués de Griñón wines are sourced from the prized Dominio de Valdepusa vineyard in Castilla-La Mancha. Valdepusa stands apart from the rest of the region, as its 1,568-foot elevation is one of the highest in Spain, and its top layer of soil is similar to Burgundy’s—almost pure limestone. Dominio de Valdepusa has been in the noble family of Carlos Falcó, the Marqués of Griñon, since 1292. Referred to as the father of Spanish wine, Falcó pioneered the modernization of vine growing and winemaking in Spain. Falco received his degree in Agronomy and Agricultural Engineering from the Katholieke Universiteit de Leuven, the oldest Catholic university still in existence in the world. In 1964, he received his Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from University of California-Davis. In 1991 and 1992, he was the first to plant the varietals of Syrah and Petit Verdot in Spain, and the first to employ drip irrigation in European vineyards. His experimentation with international varieties and modern technologies made him an internationally renowned expert on Spanish wine. In 1999, he published the eighteen-volume Entender de Vino, the quintessential guide to Spanish winemaking, now in its thirteenth edition. He also founded the esteemed Grandes Pagos de España association, with members that include twenty-five of the most prestigious estates in Spain. The group’s mission is to defend and propagate the culture of pago wine, meaning wine produced in a specific terroir that reflects the distinct personality of the soil and climate. In 2003, Dominio de Valdepusa became the first estate to receive the Vino de Pago designation, the highest level in the Spanish classification system. This level designates single estates of exceptional quality that exhibit the special characteristics of a pago wine. Today, winemaking at Valdepusa is in the hands of UC-Davis educated Julio Mourelle. Vino de Pago: This top tier in the Spanish classification system was introduced in 2003, and refers to wines from single vineyards with special characteristics. A “pago” is a land mass with indigenous vegetation determined by the area’s soil type and microclimate that differentiates itself from the surrounding environment. The site must have historically produced wines of exceptional quality and the single-vineyard name should have been in use for at least five years. The single-vineyard site must be smaller than the communal or municipal boundary where it is located and there must be a quality-control system in place that complies at minimum with the regulations for a DOCa. Caliza Caliza means limestone in Spanish, which is an homage to the soil profile at Dominio de Valdepusa. A blend of Syrah Petit Verdot, and Graciano from fifteen-to-forty-year-old vines, aged for twelve months in French oak between one and two years old. Made in the “alta expresión,” or “high expression” style, Caliza is deep purple in color, bursting with powerful aromas of lush raspberry and cherry, balanced by a subtle minerality and notes of cinnamon. On the palate, it is full-bodied yet fresh with silky tannins and a long finish. 2012 : 90 WA | 2011 : 91 JS | 2010 : 90 WS | 2007 : 90 WA, 91 WS

WINES OF SPAIN

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