Esencia Rural

Items

Esencia Rural 2021 'Pampaneo' Ancestral Sparkling, La Mancha DO	Login	—	In Stock
Esencia Rural 2020 'Pampaneo' Airen Toledo (Orange), La Mancha DO	Login	—	In Stock

About an hour drive southeast of Toledo is a small town named Quero. This extremely arid and hot area is where Julián Ruiz Villanueva produces complex and flavorful wines that embody an authentic spirit of La Mancha.

Julián tends to 38 hectares of extremely old, ungrafted, dry-farmed bush vines growing in sandy-calcareous soil. The native varieties include Tempranillo, Tinto Velasco and Airén. The vines are certified organic by Sohiscert, but Julián goes a step farther by incorporating biodynamic principles. He prefers to do as little as possible, refusing any invasive treatment and any form of mechanization.

Most of the cellar operations are carried outside due to the regional heat. Julián takes a non-interventionist approach to winemaking. Fermentations are spontaneous with indigenous yeast. Maceration occurs for extended periods of time (2-16 months). Buried amphorae are used for some of the longer macerations; a thin veil of flor might develop to protect the wine. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally. Before bottling, there is no clarification or filtration or additions of sulfites. These are naturally made wines.