Colonias de Galeón
"Respect your land, care for your vineyard and harvest your grapes. Make your wines with respect for tradition."
Better known for its famous tapas and Cruzcampo beer, we were determined to find a wine from our "madre tierra" of Sevilla. Dominated by a few behemoth coops bottling the native garrido fino, we were lucky enough to meet Elena Viguera and Julián Navarro. They received us in Espartinas at their "Granja Escuela" (Farm School), where they teach kids about sustainable farming and organic viticulture.
Their estate Colonias de Galeón is actually 50 miles in the other direction, north of Sevilla in Cazalla de la Sierra. According to authors like Cervantes and Baltasar de Alcázar, the region was amongst Europe's winemaking elite from the 15th to the 17th century. In fact, along with Burgundy, its wines were a Columbus favorite for his journeys to the Americas. Maybe he made the recommendation to Isabel of Portugal and Carlos V, Kings of Spain, who served wines from both regions at their royal wedding.
As passionate about wine as they are of their native land, Elena and Julián set out to recover the old winegrowing tradition of the past. They had to fight through thick and thin in order to do so, having to collect signatures for permission to cultivate vines on their estate, which sat on national park grounds. Surrounded by oak, cork, and fig trees, the steep slopes of slate and limestone covered in rockrose, lavender, thyme, oregano, and blackberries make it easy to understand why this land was once so prone to winemaking.
Lucky for us, they managed to gather enough signatures and by way of organic farming along with local traditions, they're making wines that are a true representation of their land and vintage. The preventative care of their vineyard contributes to the quality of their grapes. They consider themselves observers over interventionists and their wines authentic and singular.
Country: Spain Region: Sevilla, Andalucía Apellation: Sierra Norte de Sevilla Sub-zone: N/A Village: Cazalla de la Sierra Altitude: 700m Soil: Slate & limestone Vineyard: 9 Ha Founded: 1998 Producer: Elena Viguera & Julián Navarro Farming: Certified organic
Ocnos: Chardonnay Elaboration: Grapes harvested during the first half of September. After pressing, the must was macerated with the skins on dry ice for 18 hours. Once cleaned, the must was transferred to new French oak for fermentation and aging on its lees for 10 months with “battonage”. Annual production: 6,000 bottles
Petit Ocnos: Chardonnay Elaboration: Grapes were harvested during the second half of September. After destemming and pressing the grapes, the clean must was fermented in stainless steel vats letting it age on its lees for approximately 9 months before bottling. Annual production: 8,000 bottles
We couldn't get our hands on any of the reds from last vintage but please expect to see new releases soon. We're very excited about their blend of Cab Franc, Tempranillo, and Syrah, product of carbonic maceration with no added sulfur. If you thought Andalucía wasn't capable of producing dry red wines, just wait 'til you try this.
Salud and so long...