This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)
As regular readers of this blog know, Bodegas Arzuaga’s renowned attention to detail begins in the vineyard. After all, it’s impossible to craft exceptional wines without healthy, high-quality grapes. Among our 210 hectares of vineyards, Paraje Los Vallejos stands out as one of the crown jewels. Join us on a journey through its vines with Jorge Sánchez, agricultural engineer and head of viticulture at Bodegas Arzuaga. Uncover what makes this place so extraordinary.
‘Here we are in the municipality of Olivares de Duero, at a vineyard cultivated using the traditional bush vine method – allowing the vines to grow freely into rounded shapes with lower height. So welcome to Los Vallejos. This vineyard grows Tempranillo grapes from our own clonal selection, designed to produce exceptional quality fruit,’ Jorge explains, leading us to the soil to understand where it all begins.
‘Here, we find white, stony soil composed of both large and fine stones. It retains moisture exceptionally well due to its calcareous nature and digging just a little, we quickly encounter moisture. You can also see gravel and some sand. It’s a quite suitable soil for vines.’ With these words, the head of viticulture at Bodegas Arzuaga keeps going with his explanations.
‘Besides, the vineyard is situated on a mid-slope, which ensures excellent sun exposure and protects the vines from spring frosts, as the cold air flows downward. An ideal location for a quality vineyard. Its eastward orientation guarantees a consistent sunlight throughout the day for the vines, ensuring a good grape ripening. And he concludes: ‘All these factors make Los Vallejos one of the Bodegas Arzuaga’s finest vineyards.’
Indeed, Paraje Los Vallejos is a unique and privileged location, carefully nurtured by Bodegas Arzuaga every day. It produces some of the winery’s most exceptional grapes, which are transformed into wines rich in character, deeply connected to terroir and embodying the Ribera del Duero spirit. That’s why we wished to share its story and extraordinary features with you today.