On its website the Gallego Zapatero winery says that "Respect for our grapes results in our lovely, characterful wines". Also that "Making a great wine is tantamount to artistry". Whether their wines are great or not will fall to the individual palate to decide, but their fine work is to be admired and their wines are undoubtedly delightful and show great personality, finding favour with all those who have the chance to try them (even down to their labels, simple but with a very cleverly executed design and motif).
This is a small, family-run winery, yet with a deep-rooted tradition in wine growing; they have an in-depth knowledge of their 9 hectares of vineyards, where some of the vines they grow are almost 100 years old, and they are well aware that only from hard work entailing due consideration, effort and perseverance can they ever expect to harvest excellent grapes, of the Tinta del País variety, which are used for making their three ‘parcel’ wines (Valdepalacios, San Miguel and La Nava) and their two ‘coupage’ wines: Selección and Roble.
The distinctive character of their wines comes as the biggest surprise: their Yotuel Selección is notable for its intriguing Bordeaux touch, and their Yotuel Roble, which we are offering here, for its minerality; it is one of those wines difficult to place at a blind tasting and an excellent terroir wine in its price bracket. It comes as no surprise that the quantity produced runs out in no time at all!
This "little number" from Gallego Zapatero is a lively wine, appearing an attractive colour in the glass, clean and bright. It is full-on fruity on the nose (and palate too), pleasant, oily, with spicy notes (pepper) and a definite rustic feel, and it does surprise, as was mentioned before, with its minerality and balsamic notes.
On the palate it is a fruit-forward wine, fleshy, juicy, with sweet notes, rounded, balanced, with good structure and body; an extremely pleasant wine, that finishes with some subtle, polished ageing notes to round off the aftertaste. A wine to pour into the glass, drink and thoroughly enjoy. Cheers!
