Castillo del Moro, Viura, Sauvignon Blanc, Vino de España, Spain, 2024

Producer Profile

Inspired by Spain’s still largely untapped winemaking heritage, friends, colleagues and Masters of Wine Fergal Tynan and Giles Cooke set off on a journey to find the unsung heroes of Spanish wine – be they regions, growers or winemakers. Fergal’s interest in terroir and Giles’ instincts for flavour urged them on to find quality Spanish wines whose stories had yet to be told. The result is Vinos Más Buscados – a range of great-value wines from across the country that could rightfully be said to represent Spain’s hidden treasures.

Viticulture

Vineyards are grown on the plains surround the town of Manzanares in La Mancha on a number of varying soil types. These range from deep clay loams with good drainage through to some very stony soils with a breakdown of granites, giving quite different flavour profiles. These vary in flavour from gooseberry and tropical pineapple in the Sauvignon Blanc to the more subtle pear and white nectarine in the Airén. The vineyards are a mixture of low trellised vines on wires and a number of vineyards that are traditional bush vines with lower yields and more flavour concentration.

Winemaking

The grapes are harvested and bought to the winery were they are graded for quality and flavour profile then gently de-stemmed and crushed to large refrigerated draining tanks. Only the free run juice is used and sent to cold settling tanks where it is cooled and settled to clarify the juice. There is no pressing of any of the grapes used to make these wines to reduce the phenolics and keep the wines soft and fresh. Fermentation takes place using specially selected yeast strains in stainless steel to retain the fruit characters of the grape keeping the wine fresh and zesty.

Tasting Note

This modern, crisp white demonstrates bright citrus characteristics on the nose, while offering deliciously vibrant apple fruit flavours and a zesty twang courtesy of the Sauvignon Blanc on the palate. A long clean finish with hints of grapefruit.

Food Matching

Sensational drunk on its own or with salads and seafood.