Abadía Retuerta Le Domaine 2023

Abadía Retuerta Le Domaine has its origins in the unexpected appearance of white grape vines in a vineyard traditionally planted with red varieties. Once the winery had got over their initial surprise, they spent the next 20 years experimenting and researching with white grapes until they eventually produced their first white wine – a splendid terroir wine ideal for laying down, created mainly from Sauvignon Blanc blended with a small amount of Verdejo and varying quantities of other white grapes depending on the characteristics of each vintage. The white grape varieties have adapted wonderfully to the region although the altitude and climate mean it has always been thought to be more suited to red varieties. The pebble-covered sandy soils of the sunny Pago la Raya plot capture and refract heat and sunlight to ensure a perfect ripening of the grapes year after year producing a naturally low yield of small berries. The excellent quality of the fruit ensures well-balanced wines with a solid structure and a long life ahead of them. Many years of study by the winery have helped develop the best way to vinify the grapes. A slow fermentation finishes in wooden barrels where lees are worked to add unctuosity and complexity before the wine is left to stand for between 5 and 7 months in new and used barrels. The result is an original and surprising wine – an intense, characterful, unctuous, full-bodied wine with a long and fresh finish. A wine designed to improve over time and to offer a faithful expression of the personality of the terroir.