Mary Taylor
Mary Taylor + Pedro González Mittelbrunn "Castilla y Léon" Castilla y Leon, Spain 2021
Mary Taylor + Pedro González Mittelbrunn "Castilla y Léon" Castilla y Leon, Spain 2021
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FROM MARY TAYLOR:
THE WINE: The 2021 Castilla y Léon from Pedro Gonzalez Mittelbrunn is made entirely from Prieto Picudo, one of the ancient regional grapes that has slowly been making a comeback in the region thanks to Pedro’s efforts. The wine is fermented with native yeasts and raised in stainless steel. The 2021 version comes in at thirteen percent octane and offers up a deep and impressively complex bouquet of dark berries, smoked meats, black tea, a lovely array of sweet botanicals, dark soil tones and plenty of upper register smokiness. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with an excellent core of fruit and soil undertow, firm tannins and lovely balance on the long and very promising finish.
THE PRODUCER: Planted at high altitude on the barren plains of León (northwest Spain) with the Picos de Europa mountains in the background, this region was once one of the most important in Castilla y León for grape growing. Over time, vineyards have been uprooted but Leyenda de Paramo is conserving the old vines and replanting in this up-and-coming region. Soils are deep, acid, and poor, with a clay texture, mostly made up of gravel and pebbles. Pedro Gonzalez Mittelbrunn has been so committed to the local indigenous grape varieties, Prieto Picudo and Albarin, that he convinced the best wine growers to partner with him and replant these historic indigenous varieties. Some of the vines are as old as 100 years, planted in the traditional style known as “Rastra” where the branches lie on the ground. These are the only organically farmed vineyards of Prieto Picudo and Albarin in the region. Yields are low, between 25 and 40 hectoliters per hectare. El Paramo Leones is a high plain (830 meters. altitude) and close to the Cantabric mountains. Here we have extreme climate conditions, with very low rainfall (450 mm/year).