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Casa di Vini Introduces Bodegas Valduero to Hospitality Professionals at Chewton Glen
Twenty guests from the local trade tasted five wines from Ribera del Duero and heard from Alfonso Gonzalez and Master of Wine Martin Hudson on why Valduero is regarded as a truly premium producer.
On the 8th of October, Casa di Vini hosted an exclusive wine tasting event at Chewton Glen Hotel and Spa in Hampshire, introducing Bodegas Valduero to 25 local hospitality professionals who had come in search of something new for their wine lists.
Richard Carlos the representative from the winery joined us to share its story and the thinking behind its wines. Master of Wine Martin Hudson explained why these bottles sit firmly at the premium end of Spanish wine, and guests had the chance to meet others working in the sector over a glass.
Guests tasted five wines in all, two whites and three reds. The whites were both made from Albillo, a grape that remains little known outside Spain, namely the Blanco Criado Sobre Lías and the Blanco Gran Reserva. The Criado Sobre Lías was aged on its lees (the fine sediment left after fermentation) for a creamy texture and aromatic depth, while the Gran Reserva, hand-harvested from very low-yielding vines, was fermented with native yeasts and aged for five years in 500-litre barrels before a release of only 938 bottles.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
The three reds were all made from Tempranillo, and between them they showed how altitude and patient ageing shape the wines of Ribera del Duero. The Tierra Alta 2 Maderas comes from vineyards above 800 metres and spends time in two types of oak from different origins. The Tierra Alta Reserva de 2 Cotas blends fruit from vineyards at 840 and 900 metres, then ages for two and a half years in oak. Lastly, the Tierra Alta Gran Reserva 2 Racimos is made from vines more than 70 years old, each bearing just two bunches, and ages for 48 months in oak from six different origins and a further 40 months in bottle, with production never exceeding 10,000 bottles.
That emphasis on time ran through everything Alfonso shared with the room. “Patience in terms of digging out a cellar from the side of a mountain, but also patience in terms of being prepared to let wines age gracefully before releasing them, so that they can start to develop their full potential,” he said. Every wine poured that day, he added, was capable of ageing further, and the longer a wine had already rested, the longer it could go on improving.
Alfonso also placed Valduero in the wider story of its region. What distinguishes Valduero—established in 1984— , in Alfonso’s view, is focus: “They’re focused in the way they make wines. They’re focused in the grape varieties they’re using.” Where Rioja is typically a blend of two or three varieties, each Valduero wine at the tasting came from a single grape.
Casa di Vini would like to thank Chewton Glen for hosting, Alfonso for speaking, and Martin Hudson MW for his generous and clear-sighted insight into his wine expertise.
Any restaurant, hotel, gastro pub or wholesale buyer who would like to know more about the Valduero range, or to discuss which bottles might suit a particular menu, is warmly invited to get in touch through our contact form or by telephone on 01258 920007.
About Bodegas Valduero
Bodegas Valduero produces wines in Ribera del Duero, northern Spain, from vineyards at altitude, using hand harvesting, long ageing in oak, and cellars cut into the hillside.
About Casa di Vini
Casa di Vini is a family-run wine and food wholesaler, trading since 2015 and supplying restaurants, hotels, gastro pubs, wedding venues and the wider trade across the UK. It is the exclusive UK representative for Dacastello Vini, Pampa and Bodegas Valduero, and the exclusive supplier of Le 5 Stagioni flour and Bindi Desserts in the South West and Wales.