Source: De Maison Selections
CASAMARO
Rueda, Spain
In the heart of Rueda is the family-owned winery of Garciarvalo. These Matapozuelos natives specialize in Verdejo farmed in their ancient vineyards, but htey also farm a little Viura on the side.
If you visit their vineyards you may notice something odd about the ground; the sandy soils scattered with the occasional ancient seashell might make you forget that these vineyards are located in central Spain, at an elevation of 900m. These sandy soils provided a natural protection from phylloxera when the pest spread across the region about 100 years ago. Those vines still grow today and at an age of 100-145 years, they provide a large amount of the free-run juice for Garciarvalo's Casamaro Blanco. Made form a combination of these pre-phylloxera vines and other, younger plantings, the Casamaro Blanco starts as free-run juice, is fermented in stainless steel and then bottled directly from the tanks.