Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Texas Welcomes Rafa Soto from Mustiguillo today!

Bodegas Mustiguillo
Bodegas Mustiguillo is located in Spain, about 100 kilometers west of Valencia. The vineyard sits on a high plateau 700 meters above sea level.

In Food & Wine Magazine's annual Wine Issue (Oct. 2004), Mustiguillo was named as one of 20 "Best New Wineries." Richard Nalley wrote of the 2002 Mestizaje, "From Valencia in eastern Spain, this palate-caressing red is a blend of the local specialty -- the sappy, fruit-sweet, big-bodied Bobal grape -- plus 5 others. Mustiguillo's version, with its polished and seductive texture, pushes Bobal to its limit. Give the wine time in the decanter to unfold."

Mustiguillo has four vineyards in different locations in the region, which specifically is near two towns called Requena and Utiel. The principle variety grown is Bobal, and the others include Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Garnacha Tintorea, Syrah, and Merlot. The vineyards range from two to 70 years old.

The Bobal vines are healthy and very productive, but the winemaker keeps their number down to 1600 plants per hectare, which helps produce more concentrated grapes. The perfectly ripened fruit is hand-harvested and is placed in small 12-kg boxes. (And grapes that are harvested on plots further away from the winery are kept in refrigerated trucks.)

At the winery, the grapes are re-sorted before they are allowed to ferment in small barrels of French oak. After that, the wine ages in new oak barrels for 15 months before bottling.

* Information gathered from the Polaner Selections website. Cheers - Ali

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