Baldovar 923 - Rascaña, Mersequera & Macabeo, Valencia, Spain (2022)

TASTING NOTES

Velvety and smooth on the palate, the Rascaña develops complexity on the mid-palate/finish and offers aromas of grapefruit zest and a refreshing salinity. Bright, linear and very textural. 

20 to 60 year-old vines planted at 900-1,200 meters in chalky limestone and sand schists. A selection is made from 4 parcels at the lowest altitude; they provide a longer ripening period and still give a high altitude profile. The riper berries are selected, those with a golden hue, which is a sign of maturity.

Spontaneous fermentation with the skins for Merseguera, leaving Macabeo and Merseguera portions to ferment without skins after an extended pre-fermentative maceration for a half lunar cycle. Aged for 10 months in stainless steel tanks, used 500 litre barrels and “Padilla” 250 litre clay amphoras. Blended one day before bottling. The production is small, 560 cases.

Baldovar 923 is located in the mountains of Valencia, in the village of Baldovar (at 923 meters altitude), 100km from the sea. It was started in 2016 by four founders, given the tremendous potential of the region to produce high quality wines: purity of the soils, climatic characteristics, high altitude and old vines indigenous varieties. To make the dream a reality, they restored the wine cellars previously used by a winemaking cooperative that had closed more than a decade ago. They are one of the very few wineries in the region, and one of three sharing a similar philosophy, with most of the production done by five bulk coops.

Their 14 hectares of low-yielding bush vines are between 20-80 years old and grow at 900-1,200 meters altitude. The four wines they produce are made with as little intervention as possible, both in the vineyards (recently certified organic, and where biodynamic practices are introduced) and in the cellar, using indigenous yeasts with no added fining agents, nutrients, or chemical agents.