Palacio de Menade 2007

Tasting note: Colour - Pale straw.

Aroma - Lively lemony, grassy aroma with a floral edge.

Taste - Very citrussy and grassy-fresh with hints of apricot and floral notes and a clean, appetising finish.

	Type:Still White Wine		Country:Spain		Appellation:Rueda DO
	Grape Type:White Blend		Drink Before:End of 2010		Style:Dry
	Alcohol:12.5%		Bottle Size:75cl		Bottle Code:26914

Rueda in northwest Spain is renowned today for producing some of Spain's finest whites. Verdejo is its main white grape, a variety that deserves greater recognition for the tremendous quality of its wines. It is, however, delicate and oxidises easily, so although it's been grown in the area since the Moors inhabited the region in the 10th century, it has only shown its true potential since the arrival of modern technology in the last two to three decades.

The Sanz family have been making wine in the Rueda region since 1870. There are three cellars now, each belonging to different branches of the family. The wines of Antonio Sanz - now in the hands of his two sons, Ricardo who is the winemaker and Marco who tends the vines - really blossomed when they completed a new cellar in 1996. Ricardo kitted it out with the very latest in stainless steel technology.

From harvesting right through to bottling, he insists the grapes, then the wine, are kept under an inert gas, heavier than air, to preserve the wine's crisp fruit and to stop any oxidation. Ricardo is part of the new wave of Spanish winemakers, open to New World techniques. He was the first in the area to insist on night-time harvesting, further to preserve freshness. His wines have greatly benefitted from the time he has spent working in Chile, Argentina and Australia.

Rose Murray Brown - 10th June 08 2008, United Kingdom