Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Verdejo from Finca Montepedroso is pure Verdejo sourced from the higher altitude zone in Rueda where the soils are alluvial. They swim against the flow to produce a wine that wants to showcase the variety; no Sauvignon Blanc is used, and it displays its rusticity but also its ability to develop in bottle. They harvest early to keep the acidity, and to give it more volume they keep the wine with the lees for five months. The wine was not bottled until March 2015. The nose is fresh and subtle with austere aromas (nothing tropical here), with notes of freshly cut grass, orange peel and something citric. The palate is fresh and with good acidity; it is still young and unevolved. I had the chance to taste 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 next to it to check consistency and aging potential, and the wines develop nicely at least five years after the vintage, turning deeper, mellow and with musky aromas of grapefruit, hay, straw, quince, a touch of yeast, camphor and smoke that reminded me of aged Cava. The pineapple notes that I saw in the 2013 last year were completely gone. Moreover, the character of each vintage showed very clear in the wines, as it should be. Bravo Lauren!
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
Showing more earth than fruit, the chewy 2014 Finca Montepedroso stands nicely on its firm ground. The wine's palate richness combined with its savory spice and bright citrus make it a beautiful match with cayenne-accented clam udon. (Tasted: June 7, 2017, San Francisco, CA USA)
Captivating and full of character, Verdejo grows with great success in Rueda, Spain and virtually nowhere else in Europe. It has become so trendy in Spain since the turn of the century that plantings have also increased tremendously. Somm Secret—Contrary to what some may think, it is actually not related to the Portugese variety with a very similar name, Verdelho. In fact, DNA profiling suggests it may be a sibling of Godello, another native of NW Spain.
Rueda is located along the banks of the Duero River in Spain’s Castilla y León region, just a 2-hour drive north of Madrid. While winemaking in this area goes back to the 12th century, it was in the 1980s that the region was granted Denominación de Origen (D.O.) status. Today, more than 70 wineries call Rueda home. This national favorite is the top-selling white wine in Spain.
Notable facts Rueda’s main grape variety, Verdejo, gets it distinct complexity from stressful growing conditions and mineral-rich soil. Think of Verdejo as a fuller-bodied and more aromatic Sauvignon Blanc. A lush and smooth character with perfectly balanced acidity means Rueda wines pair well with seafood, fresh salads and spicy food, but are also great on their own.