Valdecastrillo

Valdecastrillo is a red wine produced by Alfredo Maestro in Peñafiel (Valladolid), V.T. Castilla y León.

Alfredo Maestro is a renown winegrower that has continued with his own progress, without paying attention to trends or currents prevailing at the time. He began to produce wine following conventional methods, this is, adding sulphur, clarifying the wine and a long etcetera. However, he soon decided to make wine using natural methods, turning the characteristics of the terroir into wine in the most faithful way.

Alfredo Maestro challenges and strongly opposes the way wine is made nowadays. He understands that wine must be faithful to its origin and for this reason he gets rid of external elements (sulphur, acid, filters, stabilisers...). According to him, he only needs three elements to create his products: grapes, well-kept vineyards and healthy soil.

Currently, Alfredo Maestro has several projects in different areas, such as Cigales, Ávila, Duratón, and Chinchón.

Valdecastrillo is a natural wine made from Tempranillo from a vineyard located in the municipality of Valdetiendas, in Segovia.  It is planted at around 1000 metres of altitude, on loam-sandy soils with boulders and clay in the deeper layers. It is cultivated following natural viticulture, without using chemical products such as herbicides, pesticides and systemic fungicides.

Harvesting is carried out manually, selecting the grapes in the vineyard and in the winery, on a selection table. 80% of the grapes are destemmed and the rest is vatted with the whole berries. After an initial crushing, it goes through alcoholic fermentation in stainless steel deposits without temperature, with native yeasts and several daily pump-overs. Then it goes through a post-fermentative maceration for 12 to 15 days. The malolactic fermentation takes place in French oak barrels, where it remains for 12 months. It is not clarified or filtered.

Valdecastrillo is an intense, structured and long wine. The aromas of ripe black fruits stand out on a spicy background with light toasted and chocolate notes. In the mouth it is rustic and with a lot of freshness. A wine that has all the expression of the grape and the personality of the terroir.