CAPITEL

The autumn of 2020 was marked by mild temperatures and average precipitation. January and February were very cold: the weather episode ‘Philomena’ was accompanied by sub-zero temperatures for several weeks. The first weeping of the vines occurred at the beginning of April and budbreak occurred in the middle of the month. May and June were characterized by normal temperatures for the season and above-average rainfall. Work in the vineyard ensured that the vines were healthy at all times. Flowering took place at the end of June. The summer was dry and the temperatures were mild, close to 20ºC on average, which allowed the vines to develop and ripen slowly and continuously, achieving ideal acidity in the grapes at the time of harvest. The harvest began on September 9 and lasted until October 5.

The Capitel vineyard, the Peña Aguada plot, with 1.10 hectares, sits on a sean of slate with a charecteristic dark colour to the south of the village of Nieva. Its geological origin is much earlier tan the Sandy souls that are predominant in the área: it dates back to the Paleozoic Era, more tan 500 million years ago. Some of the vines at Peña Aguda are closet o 200 years old, which is real heritage, historical and viticultural. The yield of these vines is low, and each small cluster maintains and expectional concentration. The viticulture practised here is of the utmost respect, aimed at preserving a legacy ini the formo f the vineyard and maintaining the purity of this unique Verdejo grape.

The grapes are harvested by hand in 12 kg crates under strict quality control and selection. The bunches are pressed whole, without destemming, in a vertical hand press, and the grapes are crushed. The must fermented with its own indigenous yeasts in 228-litre Burgundian-style barrels. Subsequently, the wine remained in
French oak barrels without racking, where it was aged for ten months on its lees. For greater protection of the wine, it contains sulfites. Capitel 2021 was bottled in the summer of 2022.