Rumour has it that a new era of white wines in the Ribera del Duero has begun. A land that has long been known for the creation and development of red wines is now also starting to be recognized for its white wines with the Albillo Mayor variety (one of the phenomenons that we are so grateful to have in our area and our vineyards).
Albillo Mayor is only found among very old Tempranillo vineyards. With it we elaborate Unanimous Santa Cruz, our white wine for aging.
It is a complex and delicate variety, with great historic value in our area (some vestiges date back from the Middle Ages). Its scarcity, due to the restructuring of vineyards and the concentration of plots of land that led to the plucking of many of these vines in previous decades, and the fact that they are found in the midst of very old Tempranillo vines, is what makes the harvesting process difficult.
The plant grows vertically, produces small and tight clusters, is drought-resistant and has a low yield. It adapts well to limy soils. This variety gives rise to wines with character and typicity, with a great terroir presence. Wines with great aging capacity.
Almost two years ago the Regulatory Council of DO Ribera del Duero decided to include Albillo Mayor in its product specifications as one of the grapes to be used for the elaboration of white wine under this denomination. And it is under this Denomination of Origin that we craft Unanimous Santa Cruz.
Unanimous Santa Cruz
At Bodegas Tres Piedras we create our own aging white wine by reclaiming, one by one, each plant that we have found among the old vines. Harvesting in the right moment is key to get the best acidity. After the harvest, we carry out the fermentation and the aging process on lees in French oak casks. The potency of the variety is obtained using three elements: minimal, practically non-existent pressing, natural yeast, and the exclusion of rapid cooling for clarification.
