This is a terrific, dry and aromatic but affordable white wine made from 100% Verdejo that is suitable both as a thirst quencher as well as a versatile food wine. A skilled blind taster can mistake the verdejo grape for sauvignon blanc on a bad day without losing face.
Cuatro Rayas is one of the appellation’s most important players, dedicating no less than 4/5 of the wine production to the verdejo grape. Rueda is located on the Castilian plateau at an altitude of 600-800 meters, where the verdejo grape benefits from the large temperature fluctuations between day and night.
The grapes are harvested at night, when the grapes are the coolest: this ensures the best possible protection against oxidation, and not least less energy must be used to cool the grapes down before fermentation: the grapes are cold-macerated at 6° a few hours before fermentation starts. Vinification takes place in stainless steel tanks with temperature control, where a low, slowly rising fermentation temperature promotes the floral, fresh and fruity aromas in the finished wine. Subsequent aging with the yeast gives extra complexity as well as a subtle, creamy note in an otherwise crunchy crisp wine.
In the glass, you are treated to lingering aromas of gooseberry, nettle, grape, blackcurrant leaf and a fresh acidity in the high tone, which in terms of taste has resulted in a dry, elegant and absolutely wood-free, but full of aroma wine.
Perfect as a thirst quencher in the summer heat, for salads, tapas, fish and seafood dishes. However, the wine also has enough aromatic richness to go hand in hand with the light meat dishes without being too fattening.
Like so many other wines, it will not get better from being stored away, but it will be able to be stored for up to approx. 3-4 years from vintage.
We recommend a serving temperature of approx. 7-12°
