El Portalón
- Rueda, Spain
Bodegas Cerrosol is a family owned winery located in the heart of the Rueda appellation in Santiuste de San Juan Bautista, around Segovia; this area is considered to be the best in the DO.
Their vineyards are their pride and joy. The high altitude (830m to 910m) means that the temperature swings from day to night are dramatic, which adds complexity to their wines; due to the sandy soils, the vines can grow safely phylloxera-free, which the family feels allows them to better express the terroir. To give you an idea of how rare this is, there is only one other area with pre-phylloxera vineyards in Castille and León, in Toro to the west.
Their philosohy is simple: they farm sustainably and use only the bare minumim of sulfur to produce wines of freshness and quality, year-in and year-out.