2020 Pago del Cielo (Torres) Céleste Verdejo Rueda

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
88
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$15.00USD

This is made from the Verdejo grape.  Green/golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose as spice and golden raisins.  Full bodies.  No fruit, this is about minerals and spice.  On the palate, minerals and hay with some spice.  Good acidity.  Round texture.  Long finish.  This is good value.  Food friendly.  It will work nice with lighter pork or chicken dishes.  Pork chops would be a nice choice.  Drink over the next few years.  

2020 Bodega Cuatro Rayas Green & Social, Spain, Rueda, Wine Review

Vintage: 
2020
Score: 
89
Grade: 
B+
Current Price: 
$12.00USD

This is 100% Verdejo from Spain.  A delightful white that is made from organic grapes using socially conscious production methods.  Light golden in color with greenish hues, clear and bright.  The nose is very nice with a bit of lemon lime, tangerine, and honey dew.  Light bodied and refreshing.  On the palate, tangerine/oranges with some underlying spice.  Crisp and clean, this drinks easy.  Nice on its own, this will work with lighter foods such as fruit salads or chicken salad.  Drink over the next year or two to enjoy its freshness.  

Verdejo - Spain’s Signature White Grape

Though Spain is better known for the red wines of Rioja and Ribera del Duero, the Rueda, located north east of Madrid, is home to arguably Spain’s best white wine, Verdejo. Similar in style and characteristics to Pinot Gris, Verdejo fully expresses itself in the high altitude of Rueda where it showcases lemon and citrus, minerality and above all, a sharp acidity which makes it compelling with the tapas so that are so ubiquitous around the region. It’s also inexpensive, with bottles exported to the U.S. usually less than $15. Verdejo has been planted in this area for over a thousand years, and it’s believed it was brought to Spain by the Moors. Some producing vines date as far back 130 years. However it has been only in the last few decades that Verdejo has proved to be the best fit for the cooler Rueda region.

Rueda: Spain’s Cutting-Edge Wine Region

Rueda wines made news this summer when MSNBC.com’s wine expert, Edward Deitch, recommended a 2006 Rueda Verdejo made by Marqués de Riscal, calling it “top-value”, “easy-to-drink” and “satisfying.” Rueda, a DO since 1980, is located in northwestern Spain, in the Castilla y León region. The Duero River flows through Rueda’s northwestern corner. Several tributaries branch off from this important river, providing, through their flooding, soils that are excellent for growing wine grapes.