The Land

Vineyard located in the town of Gordoncillo

Weather

The climate is continental, characterized by cold winters and short, hot summers. The precipitations oscillate between 400-550 annual millimeters with little precipitations during the summer time. The absolute minimum temperatures in the coldest months never exceed -15ºC. As for the spring frosts, it is a high risk area, as almost the whole plateau, since the incidence of frost of -2Cº, when the vineyard has started the vegetative period, is relatively frequent. During the summers there is an important variation of temperature between day and night, which favors the correct maturation of the grape.

The Vineyards

GORDONZELLO has 205 ha of own vineyard divided into 8 plots, differentiated by the type of variety and orientation, which guarantees a more progressive maturation and vintage.

Our vineyards are located 750 m above sea level in the municipality of Gordoncillo, within the D.O. Tierra de León, in the part more to the south, what guarantees us a quality and optimal maturation of the harvest, for having more hours of sun and greater temperature.

Ground

They are soils of Quaternary origin, seated on alluvial terraces of the river Cea. They are characterized by being poor in organic matter, with abundant boulder on the surface that provides good aeration, drainage and penetrability of the roots. Of clay-loam composition in its majority and of fine sand in smaller quantity, retains the humidity to put it at the disposal of the vine in the dry summers of this zone.

Plantation

The vineyard was planted in three phases: 1996, 1997 and 1998, having achieved a quality and balanced production to date. The entire plantation is rainfed, has no irrigation and is formed on a low trellis of 1.7 m. The formation height of the plants is around 50 cm and the planting frame is 3 m between row and 1.5 between plants, which gives us a density of 2,222 plants per ha. The main varieties that are most important in gordonzello are the native ones of the D.O. Tierra de León: Prieto Picudo and Albarín, and to a lesser extent the inks: Tempranillo and Mencía, and the white one: Verdejo. Varieties that provide us with excellent results to produce reds and rosés of personality and fresh and fruity whites, very suitable both for their aging in barrels.