Verónica Ortega is a young winemaker who has been living in Bierzo, in the northwest of Spain, for a little over 3 years. I met Verónica, a rising star of the wine industry in the region, a little by chance, during a recent visit to Raúl Pérez, one of the greatest oenologists in Spain, who also lives in Valtuille de Abajo, in the Castilla y Léon region.
Verónica Ortega is from Jerez de la Frontera in Andalucia, a region with a long tradition of wine making. But Verónica does not come from a wine family. She initially studied chemistry, but could not see herself working in a laboratory all her life. She decided to study oenology without really knowing where it would lead her. Her apprenticeship led her to work with some of the greatest producers and to travel through many wine regions such as Priorat (Alvaro Palacios), Burgundy, in Beaune (Benjamin Leroux) and in Pommard (Domaine des Épeneaux), and then in the Rhône in Crozes-Hermitage (Domaine Combier).
What Verónica likes most about being a winemaker is working in the winery. While she enjoys being in the vineyards, it is in the winery that she is most in her element, as it is there that she can express herself the most and imprint her personality on her wines. Her philosophy is to be as minimalist as possible in the cellar in order to let the vines and grapes express themselves.
His objective? Every year, it is to better understand the vine, the terroir, and of course to make better wines. The most important thing for her is to get good grapes. Identifying good parcels, being able to understand them and making a wine that corresponds to her. To be rigorous in the cellar and especially to have a good palate in order to taste the wine. And above all, to know how to teach!
Her challenges? Verónica is a young winemaker. As she says herself, she is just starting out and is already growing, which is not easy to manage. On a day-to-day basis, she needs more space, and in the medium term, she needs to get her hands on more quality grapes. This is her third year in the Bierzo and she is only beginning to get to know the area well.
According to Verónica, the Bierzo is a very interesting region in many ways. First of all, for the authenticity of its wines. These are wines made from an autochthonous grape variety, the mencía, which is not found anywhere else (except in small quantities in Ribeira Sacra in Galicia, and in Dão in Portugal). This grape variety has been particularly well adapted to the soil and climate of the Bierzo over the last century. Verónica likes wines from cooler climates, which she believes give lighter, more elegant wines. Therefore, she has found in the Bierzo a suitable climate to make the wines she likes (the Bierzo climate is marked by both continental and oceanic influences).
Another interesting aspect of the Bierzo noted by Verónica is its important wine-making past. The Romans and then the Catholic monks have been making wine in the area for centuries. There are many old vineyards, as wine has always been part of the local life and economy. This has been passed down from generation to generation and today there are an endless amount of small plots. “We haven’t pulled up any vines here,” comments Verónica. “Commercially, the Bierzo is also very interesting. When I arrived here, there were already very good producers, but now the reputation of Bierzo wines is clear and the spotlight is on us. Many producers today would like to have a Bierzo in their portfolio. When Verónica started out in the area, she had to explain to most where Bierzo was, whereas today, in just a few years, everyone knows the area.
“We are fortunate to have a very wide variety of soils, which is a richness. This gives a singularity and diversity very important in our wines. The vineyards where Verónica Ortega works are organically farmed. Verónica would like to work in biodynamic agriculture one day. In fact, all of the producers she has worked for in the past have practiced biodynamics. “Our grandparents observed nature and adapted to it, they did not use chemicals. So I’m in favor of taking as much care of the plant as possible in the most natural way possible. I am convinced and very comfortable with biodynamics. I have seen the evolution that it has given over the years in terms of the health of the vine, which is becoming more vigorous and resistant to disease. That said, Verónica is aware that it requires a lot of observation and above all a lot of work.
For the moment. Verónica Ortega elaborates two vintages of mencía: Quite and Roc. For Quite, she obtains the grapes from different winemakers. Half of the wine is aged in barrels (8 months), and half in amphoras, in order to keep it fresh. Her other cuvée Roc is more of a wine for keeping. From a single plot of old vines on sandy soils (barely a hectare), the grapes are fermented and then aged in oak barrels for just over 12 months. In 2014, Quite’s production reached 15,000 bottles, Le Roc’s 4500 bottles. I had the chance to taste both of Verónica’s vintages, and they are both superb wines. Quite is a fresh wine, very easy to drink, with a certain elegance. Roc is a wine with a lot of body, leather and mint notes, and a tannic structure that will allow it to age beautifully. It is still a baby. Definitely a wine for aging.
Verónica will add two white wines to her portfolio. “In Bierzo, there is very little godello (neighboring Galicia is the main producer of this variety). I found two fincas that grow it, and both are interesting, because each has its own characteristics. The first one has very old vines of 110 years old on sandy-clay soils. The second one has vines of about 40 years old, but on very calcareous soils, which is quite atypical in Bierzo and which will bring a mineral side to the wine. That’s why I decided to make two different vintages. The vintages will be vinified partly in barrels and partly in amphoras.
Verónica told me that one day she would like to make wine in Andalusia, where she is from: “The wines of Jerez are a treasure of Spanish wine heritage. Every time I bring back a gift, I choose a sherry, because no wine lover can remain indifferent to this wine. One day I would like to make a solera”.
If you are visiting Castilla, a visit to Valtuille de Abajo is a must to discover the wines of the Bierzo. Don’t hesitate to contact Verónica Ortega so that she can tell you about her new adopted land. You can reach Verónica via twitter: https://twitter.com/veronicaortegac.
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