A PRIVILEGED AREA

The vine is a strong and vigorous plant, with a great ability to adapt to different varieties of climate and ground. However, the best wines in the world have something in common, having been made with grapes grown in certain conditions of humidity, temperature and in ground which favours the growth of the vines. The quality of the grapes, the degree of ripening which they attain and the precise moment in which they are harvested are factors which will directly affect the appearance, the aromas and the final structure which the wines present when the bottles are uncorked. For this reason, it is so important to us to work in the Somontano, close to the river Vero.

Our region, like most of the well-known wine-producing regions in the world, has very favourable climatic conditions and ground for vine cultivation. The Vero, the influence of the Pyrenees and an annual rainfall of 600 mm provide excellent natural circumstances for the development of the vine.

With an average annual temperature of 11 degrees Centigrade, relatively extreme winters and short mild summers, nature itself provides the main ingredients for harvests of great quality.

There is no single ideal climate for all grapes and wines, but there is a combination of factors which help the grapes deliver their full potential. It is a series of climatic coincidences, a sequence of events which should occur during the twelve months, and which happen in each harvest in order to obtain suitable results. For example, one of these circumstances is that the winters should be cold in order to guarantee the rest period of the leaf buds and the eradication of the predatory insects of the vine. It also helps if this season is not very rainy, as opposed to the springtime, which should be humid, gradually warming up and, above all, without any late frosts, which could reduce the harvest if they occur once the vine stocks are in bud.

The month of June should not be very humid in order to assist the flowering of the clusters and the ideal summer would be one which was hot, with cool nights and sunny, dry days. Although some rain from time to time is positive, an excess of rain, as well as the appearance of morning dew, could bring about the appearance of harmful diseases. In autumn, the best combination is the absence of rain, with long warm days which enable the perfect ripening of the grapes and their harvesting later.

The Somontano usually has most of these climatic features, as in quality other grape-growing and wine-producing areas of great prestige, such as the Rioja Alta, the Valle del Ródano (France) or that of Napa, in California (USA).

The vine, as we have already mentioned, adapts to the most diverse conditions and grounds. However, in order to obtain great wines from our vines, we have to avoid extreme situations and plant them in the most appropriate terrain. Broadly speaking, this ideal ground is one which has good surface drainage. In this way, we will prevent flooding and will have sufficient water reserves in the subsoil. A surface layer made up of sand and gravel and a subsoil of clay guarantee the good development of the vines. It goes without saying that the land should have a rich mineral composition to provide the plants with the nutrients they need.

The rolling topography of the Somontano, with brownish-grey limy soils, which are very permeable, enabled our ancestors in the past to obtain very notable wines with the typical varieties of the region: Moristel, Macabeo and Tempranillo. And for us they have provided the possibility of enriching this tradition with stocks from other types of grapes, the most well-known by wine lovers, which are perfectly adapted in our vineyards.