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El Brozal Blanco
El Brozal Blanco
El Brozal Blanco is a unique white wine made from a single vineyard. Made in tiny quantities by David Sampedro, David’s bodega is located in the town of El Villar, within the Rioja Alavesa subzone of the Rioja DOCa region. El Brozal Blanco is a rarity, one of a few single vineyard wines from Rioja Alavesa, Rioja as a whole, or any wine region in Spain. As with the finest wines of Burgundy, Bordeaux or Piedmont, El Brozal Blanco is a wine that bears the distinct stamp of its terruño (terroir). With great clarity and precision, it sings the music of its specific birthplace. The 182 6-pack cases are made from a “field blend” of Moscatel, Viura, Malvasia, Garnacha Blanca and Jaen, white varieties planted in the 1930’s to provide nourishment to pickers. Today, instead of eating these grapes, David Sampedro turns them into one of the smallest production white wines from Rioja. El Brozal is a joint project of Michael Quinlan, Alberto Orte, Patrick Mata and David, an emerging young wine grower and winemaker with a special affinity for old vineyards. Farmed biodynamically, the small 1.3-hectare (3.2 acre) vineyard has a history that dates back to Roman times.
What makes this wine unique?
A low production single-vineyard wine made in town of El Villar, in the heart of Rioja Alavesa. The vineyard is tended using biodynamic farming. 1.3 hectares (3.2 acres) of land produce no more than 230 6-packs cases per year. This wine is a blend of five local grapes. Planted in 1930, this vineyard is known for producing distinct grapes of high quality every year.
Rating history:
2008 92RPGrape:
50% Viura, 15% Moscatel, 15% Malvasia, 15% Garnacha Blanca and 5% Jaen. The Brozal vineyard is 1.3 hectares (3.2 acres) in size, with 5,800 vines that were planted in 1932 and 1938. This vineyard is biodynamically farmed.
Pairing Suggestions:
Similar to white Burgundies (Meursault, Ladoix, Saint Aubin) and northern Rhône whites (Hermitage blanc, Saint Peray, Saint Joseph blanc) with some heft and roundness, this white Rioja has the aromatic richness and firm palate presence to pair well with rich flavored seafood like grilled swordfish, red snapper or grilled calamari. This wine is also fruity and versatile enough to compliment most white meats, poultry, and many softer cow and sheep’s milk cheeses.
Vinification and ageing:
The grapes undergo skin contact, or pre-fermentation maceration, in open-top 400-liter barrels for four days, to extract the most beneficial aromas, texture and mouthfeel. After pressing the must, the wine is fermented and aged ten months in 228-liter French barrels, 50% new and 50% two-year-old.
Production:
182 6-pack cases are produced; 100 for the U.S.
Location, Soil, Climate:
The vineyards are located in Zone 3 within the Rioja region, just southeast of the village of el Villar, in the Rioja Alavesa subzone. The soils are iron-rich reddish fine sand on the surface and limestone subsoil with a big layer of stones in the middle. The area’s climate has an average temperature from April-October of 61ºF with 24.4 inches of yearly rainfall. The moderately warm days and cool nights of this Continental Atlantic climate forces the grapes to ripen slowly, resulting in wines that are fresh, aromatic and with expressive fruit flavors.
Tasting notes:
El Brozal Blanco shows expressive aromas of buttered popcorn, lemon zest, tropical fruits and hazelnuts. Elegant on the palate, it displays generous and ripe fruit, considerable depth and impeccable balance.
Alcohol Content:
13.0%
UPC Code:
810411010303
