"CANTOSAN" VERDEJO
PRODUCER: GRUPO YLLERA
DO RUEDA - SPAIN

Verdejo is one of  higher quality white grape varieties which languished in obscurity for several hundred years before being rediscovered 15 years ago. It is a native grape of Rueda in North-west Spain and is now its principal white grape variety. It is most successfully cultivated in high altitude vineyards where the soils are calcareous and well drained.
Previously Verdejo based wines were worryingly prone to premature oxidation. However techniques including night-time harvesting and cool fermentation have led to the delicate and youthful aromatic freshness of the wines being preserved. It is often blended with Sauvignon Blanc  to add body and richness to Sauvignon's aromatic lift.
Typically Verdejo wines are crisp with soft, creamy, nutty overtones, and sometimes accompanied by notes of honey. Arguably Spain's finest white grape variety

The Yllera Family, now in its 6th generation of vine growers and wine makers, owns a group of wineries located in Rueda, Ribera del Duero, Toro, Castilla-Leon and also in South America.

Cepage: 100% Verdejo
Age of vineyard: 15-40 years
Maceration: 8-12 hours in cold

Tasting notes: lovely straw yellow colour with a steely green tint. Clear aromas which combine a variety of flavours such as green apples, grapefruit lemon zest, medlars and lychees together with hints of moss and hay and a touch of aniseed coming through.
Very well structured with perfectly balanced acidity which gives the wine great feshness. Full-bodied. Long and complex finish revealing an array of flavours ending with that typical Verdejo bitter tocuh.

Food pairing: enjoy it as an aperitif. It also goes well with all types of seafood, fish and Japanese food.