Winemaker: Pablo del Villar
Grape: 100% Verdejo
Region: Rueda, Spain
Bodegas Hermanos Villar, founded in 1995 is owned by Villar Brothers. They own 247 acres of vineyards with a very unique soil in the town of Rueda.
Their vineyards are planted with popular Spanish grape varieties such as Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc and Viura (Whites) and Tempranillo (red). So far I had the opportunity to taste their 3 white wines (no reds produced from these vineyards yet) and I loved them all.
Their Ipsum is blend of 60% Verdejo and 40% Viura, Oro de Castilla is made from 30 years old vines and has a mature sister called Oro de Castilla Barrica which is a selection of the best grapes. Rich Barrica is also the only white wine that winery ages in oak.
Villar brothers will even harvest their grapes during cold nights to maximize freshness and avoid oxidation. The unique gravel soil profile makes wines from these vineyards distinct from any other vineyards in the region.
Tasting notes:
Crispy, mid-body Verdejo has a beautiful aroma of citrus fruit. On the palate it offers refreshingly bitter citrus and pear skin flavors. The wine shows great minerality that comes from its unique soils.
To me, Oro de Castilla is the best example of Spanish Verdejo I have tasted so far. Although expressing a lot of fruit, it is also beautifully balanced with its natural acidity. This wine is wonderful on its own but I was sipping it with a platter of Spanish fine jamon (ham) and cheeses. Divine! Pay attention to the vintage though. Verdejo needs to be drank fresh (max. 2 years).
Dry – Off dry – Medium sweet – Sweet
Light – Medium – Full body
No oak – Aged in oak
Retail price: under $ 12.00
Ideal food pairing:
Rich shellfish dishes, shrimp scampi, Baked shrimp with tomatoes and feta, sushi. chicken Caesar salad, seafood salads, grilled chicken with veggies, asparagus risotto, Spanish ham and cheeses and many more
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