Alfredo Maestro, is a Rock Star "Natural" winemaker practicing organic in Ribéro del Dúero, when I met him he definitely has passion and vigor of innovative natural winemaking techniques. A force to reckoned with at the moment and in the future.
He believes that a wine must reflect where it comes from. He eliminates the use of exogenous elements (i.e sulphur, acids, filters and stabilizers). According to Alfredo Maestro, he only really needs three elements to create a wine: the grapes, well-kept vines and healthy soils.
His winemaking laboratory in Peñefiel, a Medieval wine making hamlet complete with a Castle that Don Quioxte probably fought his ghosts at the gates of the moat right on the Ribéro del Dúero River which to my chagrin was very unassuming but the Castle is quite impressive and an un-breached citadel.
Perfumed nose, a fuchsia hue, Delicate thin skinned varietal, Apricot pit, nutty, dry, salty minerality and chalky dry.
varietal: Albillo Mayor
region: Peñefiel, Ribéro del Dúero, Castilla y Léon, Spain
style: skin contact white wine ( orange wine)
farming & cellar: organic, 60-120 year old Albillo Mayor vines grown on clay-limestone at 700 to 1000 meters elevation in the Ribera del Duero. Fermented in steel vat with wild yeasts and around one week of skin contact, and raised in tank with the winter temperatures naturally clarifying the finished wine, which is bottled with nothing added and nothing taken away. Vegan friendly.
pairing: ensalada mono with Manchego and pimentón spiced marcona almonds from casa mono
