MV_PortfolioBook

WINES OF SPAIN

Marqués De Griñon

| Mark-Ez Deh Green-Yoan |

VP Dominio de Valdepusa (Castilla-La Mancha), Spain

Marqués de Griñón wines are sourced from the prized Dominio de Valdepusa vineyard in Castilla-La

Mancha. Valdepusa stands apart from the rest of the region, as its 1,568-foot elevation is one of the

highest in Spain, and its top layer of soil is similar to Burgundy’s—almost pure limestone. Dominio de

Valdepusa has been in the noble family of Carlos Falcó, the Marqués of Griñon, since 1292. Referred

to as the father of Spanish wine, Falcó pioneered the modernization of vine growing and winemaking

in Spain. Falco received his degree in Agronomy and Agricultural Engineering from the Katholieke

Universiteit de Leuven, the oldest Catholic university still in existence in the world. In 1964, he received his

Master’s degree in Agricultural Economics from University of California-Davis. In 1991 and 1992, he was

the first to plant the varietals of Syrah and Petit Verdot in Spain, and the first to employ drip irrigation in

European vineyards.

His experimentation with international varieties and modern technologies made him an internationally

renowned expert on Spanish wine. In 1999, he published the eighteen-volume Entender de Vino, the

quintessential guide to Spanish winemaking, now in its thirteenth edition. He also founded the esteemed

Grandes Pagos de España association, with members that include twenty-five of the most prestigious

estates in Spain. The group’s mission is to defend and propagate the culture of pago wine, meaning wine

produced in a specific

terroir

that reflects the distinct personality of the soil and climate.

In 2003, Dominio de Valdepusa became the first estate to receive the Vino de Pago designation, the

highest level in the Spanish classification system. This level designates single estates of exceptional quality

that exhibit the special characteristics of a pago wine. Today, winemaking at Valdepusa is in the hands of

UC-Davis educated Julio Mourelle.

Vino de Pago

This top tier in the Spanish classification system was introduced in 2003, and refers

to wines from single vineyards with special characteristics. A “pago” is a land mass with indigenous

vegetation determined by the area’s soil type and microclimate that differentiates itself from the

surrounding environment. The site must have historically produced wines of exceptional quality and

the single-vineyard name should have been in use for at least five years. The single-vineyard site

must be smaller than the communal or municipal boundary where it is located and there must be a

quality-control system in place that complies at minimum with the regulations for a DOCa.

Caliza

Caliza means limestone in Spanish, which is an homage to the soil profile at Dominio de Valdepusa. A

blend of Syrah Petit Verdot, and Graciano from fifteen-to-forty-year-old vines, aged for twelve months

in French oak between one and two years old. Made in the “alta expresión,” or “high expression” style,

Caliza is deep purple in color, bursting with powerful aromas of lush raspberry and cherry, balanced by a

subtle minerality and notes of cinnamon. On the palate, it is full-bodied yet fresh with silky tannins and a

long finish.

2012:

90 WA |

2011:

91 JS |

2010:

90 WS |

2007:

90 WA, 91 WS