Abadia’s Press Release that explains what they do and how they do it. Informative, and due to it’s detail I figured that it would be better to place it as it for you to read and analyze. This was produced by the winery.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE ESTATE
HISTORY
FACILITIES
THE VINEYARD
HIGH TECHNOLOGY TO CONTROL THE VINEYARD
THE WINERY’S MANAGEMENT
THE WINES
LOCATED ON THE GOLDEN MILE IN “EL PAGO”
Sardón de Duero, a town near Valladolid, is the home of this avant-garde Winery that is built on an estate called Santa María de Retuerta, which has a historical tradition of viniculture. It is situated in “El Pago” on the Golden Mile, a privileged geographical location between Tudela de Duero and Peñafiel, where the most prestigious brands of Spanish wine, such as Vega Sicilia, Pingus, Alion, Mauro or H. Monasterio are found.
The Winery’s name “Abadía Retuerta” is the result of two words that define and describe the territory: Rivola Torta (riverside /winding river bank), a Latin name that developed over time into Retuerta and that gave its name to the XII Century Abbey located on the estate, which has an incalculable historical value.
The estate has 700 hectares, of which 204 correspond to the vineyard, which is distributed on a succession of hillsides, that range from a maximum altitude of 850 metros to the southern bank of the river Duero. The remainder of the estate comprises a farm, a wood and scrublands.
Within the boundaries of the estate is the Santa María de Retuerta Abbey, whose Romanesque church dates back to the middle of the XII Century. It was build by the Count of Sancho García, founded by Lady Mayor (the forth daughter of Count Ansúrez, a Lord from Valladolid) and entrusted to the Premostratensian Order of St. Norbert. It was part of the network of monasteries that were used to consolidate the Christian Reconquest. The Abbey consists of very differentiated architectural styles, that are a true reflection of the different eras during which it was built, as well as of several reconstructions it has undergone over the centuries. In the church, the Romanesque style facade stands out as opposed to the parts built during later stages, that enjoy the northern Gothic style. A special mention should be made to the cloister, the chapter house and the refectory.
The first written reference regarding the importance of the Retuerta vineyards dates back to the XVII Century and indicates that the wine, that had an annual production of around 7,800 pitchers (125,000 litres), sold by the monks who lived on the estate, dominated the Valladolid market, the largest town in Castile.
* What are “vinos de pago’ or ‘single quinta’ wines? They are wines which guarantee that the grapes originate exclusively from a particular vine and therefore, encompass the virtues of specific vines, a plot of land and a particular and exceptional microclimate.
The Winery wisely makes the most of traditional viniculture combined with the latest technology and is one of the most advanced in Europe. It covers a surface area of 10,000 m2 and has been producing wines since 1996.
Its two main characteristics are:
The use of gravity for each and every one of the vinification processes. There is a fully equipped “analysis centre” at the Winery itself (analytical and microbiological), as well as two gas chromatographs.
The availability of a large number of stainless steel tanks where wines from grapes that are grown on different plots are produced separately.
The ageing cellar, that has a capacity for almost 5,000 casks, is cut into the mountain side, which permits a natural control of the temperature. The casks are positioned individually on racks designed to facilitate the decanting without the need to subject the wine to any type of pumping. 70% of the casks come from the French woods at Allier and Limousin and the remaining 30% from American oak woods. Both types are replaced after four years of use.
The Winery has its own vineyard where technology and innovation prevail. It only uses grapes from its vines to produce the wines. A detailed geological study enabled replanting and revealed a great variety of soils, where the majority of the world’s great vines are represented. The soils range from stony gravel to plots dominated by clay. The high part of the hillside is calcareous and the area close to the river is essentially sandy and pebbly (gravel), with a higher proportion of clay as we get closer to the river Duero itself.
The fundamental parameter to identify the different plots is the type of soil and subsoil where the vines grow, which is very heterogeneous and is the factor that contributes very singular characteristics to each wine. Over four dozen plots that are very different from each other have been identified, and remind us of the Bordeaux “climat’ or “crus’ wines.
Of the total surface area, 65% is planted with the Tempranillo variety, 25% with Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% with Merlot. Currently the Winery is experimenting on small plots with other varieties, such as Petit Verdot and Syrah.
HIGH TECHNOLOGY TO CONTROL THE VINEYARD
Analysis of the plots and vinification controls:
There is a meticulous control of the vines, plot by plot, thanks to:
Five meteorological stations that provide climatic measurements.
Six water stations that measure the concentration of water in the soil, in its different layers and depths (30, 60, 90 and 120 cm. deep).
Three stations that value the plants’ daily micro-growth.
Fourteen anti-frost towers, that guarantee the production of grapes in an area where the spring frosts tend to be frequent and devastating.
Each year the production is controlled by summer pruning and bunch thinning.
It has been proven that the control of the plants’ water stress is essential to maintain their quality. For this reason, the personnel work with data from the different stations and carry out periodical visits to the vineyard. Each plot studied has an independent drip irrigation system.
Vinification per plot:
Each of the 54 plots that make up the vineyard are controlled individually and different cultural techniques applied for each one of them, according to the specific needs: type of soil, variety and temperature. This analysis of plots and the vinification controls permit the production of wines that are clearly differentiated due to their production processes, as well as the characteristics that the subsoil confers to the wine.
Three phase quality control:
Data related to the quality and the degree of maturity of the grapes on each plot is obtained, samples are taken each two to three days and approximately a month and a half before the harvest. Grapes are picked and placed in bags and taken to the “analysis centre” to evaluate the degree of maturity. The analytical data processed includes: the weight of 100 grapes (proof of a good control of the plants’ water stress) the progression of the colour and the tannins (monitoring of the phenolic maturity), as well as the measurement of the classic parameters, acidity, pH and the degree of alcohol (by density). This system enables us to detect the optimum moment to start to harvest. The fruit from each plot is gathered and vinified individually.
The control is completed with the analytical data of the wine that comes from the grapes that have already been analysed on each plot (from each of the different tanks).
Each wine is tasted and each plot is rated, according to the origin of the different terrains.
These three parameters are worked on, harvest after harvest, and each year more data for each plot is obtained, with an aim to attain the best quality grapes according to the climatic characteristics, maintaining the authenticity of the wines and their production style. This painstaking work has been carried out since 1996. In 1999 the Winery managed to assemble detailed information about the individual plots, which enabled it to obtain a very high homogenous quality which was maintained in the years 2000 and 2001 and an even higher quality was achieved in 2002 and 2003. The last vintage 2004, has reached the best quality ever, perfect maturation that lead up to excellent balanced wines of great richness, and full concentration.
Pascal Delbeck is the head of the technical team at Abadía Reteurta. As a vituculturist and winemaker has been in charge of the wines from the Dubois-Challon family, Chateau Ausone and Chateau Belair (Saint Emilion, Bourdeaux) since he was only 21 years old.
Pascal, has been behind the project of Abadía Retuerta since the beginning on a counceling basis. He made a deep geological survey of the soils of the property and after choosing the best lots of land for the new plantation he identified 54 plots according to the different terroirs that the Duero river built around the Abbey. He defined the style of the wines to be made with the help of Angel Anocíbar Beloqui, a prestigious and renowned enologist and viticulturist, is the in-site technical manager and is responsible for the Vineyard and Cellar. This permits an excellent coordination of each and every one of the processes performed.
Since the Winery was established in 1996, Angel Anocíbar (Doctor in Enology and Ampelology, studied in Bordeaux, among other qualifications) has been applying his knowledge, learnings and experience in controlling a 206 Ha. estate, 4,000 casks and the production of a million bottles a year.
Abadía Retuerta produces and commercialises eight brands that are the end result of the work philosophy and the care of the land: Primicia comes from the coolest soils on the estate; Rívola reflects the Winery’s good work, the twelve months spent in oak casks contribute harmony to the tannins; Cuvée El Palomar offers a rich taste and exotic aromas; Pago Negralada, comes from a Tempranillo vine planted in clay, pebbled and alluvium soils from the River Duero, that after 24 months in oak casks, evokes the Tempranillo’s maturity; Pago Valdebellón, a Cabernet Sauvignon variety, comes from calcareous terroir, whose microclimate determines its special dark colour and mineral aromas; and PV (Petit Verdot) is a wine that has a very limited production, it is elegant, refined and subtle. Cuvée El Campanario is another of the outstanding wines: the fruit of the combination of Tempranillos cultivated in calcareous, clay and sandy soils.
But the Winery’s benchmark wine is the Selección Especial, as the highest quality batches of grapes from the best Tempranillo plots have been used to produce it. It is the perfect wine to drink with poultry, red and white meat and fresh fish.
