Garciarévalo Finca Tres Olmos Verdejo Lías 2020

Garciarévalo’s Tres Olmos single vineyard is situated at the confluence of the rivers Adaja and Eresma, which produces an exceptional microclimate characterized by temperatures up to five degrees cooler than other surrounding areas. This zone also offers a big climatic difference between the daytime and the nighttime temperatures, which is key for retaining acidity. Far from the arid conditions one expects in Castilla y León, their elevation at 730m and location within a pine forest, between two rivers, provides an ideal microclimate for producing beautiful, fresh native verdejo grapes.

The unique qualities of the over 130-year-old Tres Olmos site are also evident in the soils, which differ from most other areas of Rueda. The soil here is extremely sandy and low in organic material, allowing for excellent drainage and a greater difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures due to sand’s quick release of heat at night. These factors allow their wines to be ripe, yet incredibly fresh, with exceptional acidity for the warm Rueda region. It has also aided them in their conversion to completely organic viticulture, for which they were certified in 2020. As one depends on the other, their organic farming has enabled them to encourage their native yeast colonies in the vineyard, with the goal of adding complexity to their fermentations.

Another factor in the high quality of Garciarévalo wines is the superior clonal diversity found in their old bush-trained vines. The leaves on the old clones are much smaller, and the bunches are tighter and more compact with a distinctly darker green color than what is found in modern clones. This is the older, pre-industrial verdejo with thicker skins, which yields wines of character and quality. They only use these ancestral clones when replanting new vineyards. Garciarévalo continues to improve with each vintage and leads the Rueda region in a fresh, qualitative direction. Tres Olmos offers outstanding, unbeatable value in the world of white wine.

Vintage Notes – 2020 saw a good deal of rain early in spring with high summer temperatures leading to an early harvest. This vintage yields a more restrained style after the generous character of the 2019 vintage. The 2020 wines are impressively fresh with balanced alcohol and aromas, a fresher, more Atlantic character, and good acidity. It was an excellent vintage for Garciarévalo.

Vinification – After spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, the wine is aged six months on the lees with bâtonnage before bottling.