Bodegas Gormaz Viña Gormaz Rueda 2008

The cheerful, sunny robe is the first thing one notices about the 2008 Viña Gormaz Rueda. How fitting that Rueda, the finest white wine of Spain’s sun drenched northern plain, bears all the radiance of the sun. At artful blend of Verdejo (60%) and Viura (40%), the 2008 Viña Gormaz Rueda captures the palate as well as the eye. From first sniff, this wine’s heady aroma is redolent with the scents of melon, fresh squeezed lime, and spring flowers. Medium-bodied, persistent, and long on flavor, the 2008 Viña Gormaz Rueda immediately establishes itself as a savory wine that is both easy and fun to drink. Refreshing as well as eminently satisfying, the 2008 Viña Gormaz Rueda reveals a new and interesting twist with each sip. We suggest serving the 2008 Viña Gormaz Rueda moderately chilled, at least for starters. We have also enjoyed the wine at cellar temperature (55º-57º F).

Rueda is one of Spain’s most amiable white wines, and the 2008 Viña Gormaz Rueda is no exception. It is a wine to sip and savor, or simply guzzle. It pairs especially well with tapas and all kinds of appetizers. So, why not try it with toasted bread rounds, smeared with a fine crab dip or lobster spread. Shrimp, scallops, and prawns, prepared Provencal style in a heady white wine, garlic, and tomato sauce, all provide superb accompaniments, too. Bouillabaisse, Calamari Frito, Ceviche, Maryland-Style Crab Cakes, and Sautéed Low Country Oysters offer additional, mouthwatering pairings. Melon wrapped in prosciutto, or better still, thin slices of Spain’s peerless Jamon Ibérico, a delicious acorn fed ham, offers a peerless partner to the Viña Gormaz Rueda. In addition, nearly all kinds of cow, sheep, and goat’s milk cheese provide superb accompaniments to this wine as well. Empanadas, flautas, and inventive chicken salads made with fruit, walnuts, and Mediterranean herbs offer other tasty pairings. Enjoy!

Bodegas Gormaz has been turning out exemplary Ribera del Duero from old, head pruned Tempranillo vines since 1972. One of the original 16 bodegas of the D.O. Ribera del Duero, Bodegas Gormaz was originally founded as a cooperative consisting of some 360 growers in the Ribera del Duero province of Soria. Today, Bodegas Gormaz is privately owned and managed, and it is fashioning outstanding red and white wines from Ribera del Duero and Rueda, respectively, that simply must not be missed. Brought to fore by Classical Wines of Spain, Bodegas Gormaz now consists of more than 1,300 acres of vines in Soria for making quintessential Ribera del Duero and a 125 acre estate vineyard on the Adaja River in Rueda for fashioning the bodega’s exceptional white wine. Many of the vineyards of Bodegas Gormaz are in excess of 50 years of age and have been propagated from vine to vine in pre-phylloxera fashion, which means they grow on un-grafted rootstock, a rarity in the 21st century. The estate’s reds are pure, rich, unadulterated Ribera del Duero from 100% old vine Tempranillo. Moreover, the estate’s Rueda is equally impressive. Bodegas Gormaz fashions its delicious Rueda exclusively from Verdejo and Viura, the region’s finest traditional grape varieties. Rueda Rueda lies to the northwest of Madrid in an historic part of ancient Castilla and León. Rueda, especially the town of Nava del Ray and the surrounding countryside, is known for its extraordinary architecture. Many opulent churches, monasteries, and mansions punctuate the region, highlighting Rueda’s important role in the medieval Reconquest of Spain from the Moors. Wine production has been an integral part of Rueda since the 11th century, when King Alfonso IV offered freehold ownership of land to those prepared to resettle Rueda after the Reconquest. Monastic orders quickly took up the King’s offer and built monasteries with vineyards to provide a steady wine supply. Soon the vineyards of Rueda had become the primary suppliers of wine to the itinerant medieval Castilian court. The viticultural glory and commercial success of Rueda and its noble Verdejo grape would last until phylloxera devastated the region between 1909 and 1922, destroying more than two-thirds of the region’s vineyards. Subsequently, the vines chosen for replanting were unfortunately selected for yield rather than quality, which means the high yielding Palomino replaced Verdejo as the main grape in Rueda. Furthermore, the little Verdejo that was made had no chance to mature; it was sold locally in bulk. Fortunately, the sagging fortunes of Rueda took a turn for the better in the 1970s. Marqués de Riscal, a leading Rioja producer, came to Rueda and set up a bodega to make young, fresh white wines from native Verdejo grapes. Meanwhile, Angel Rodriquez was launching his quest at Martinsancho to revive Verdejo and restore the indigenous varietal to its former glory. As a result of these efforts Rueda won DO status in 1980, and it has never looked back. Rueda is presently Spain’s leading DO for still premium white wines.