Description
This is the first of the wines from the Belondrade winery, and one of the best white wines in Spain. A mature, elegant white wine inspired by the Burgundy whites, that has in fact surpassed all expectations when it comes to quality from the Verdejo, the indigenous grape varietal of Castile. The wine has also undergone diligent ageing in oak of the highest quality and will continue to develop most favourably in the bottle for a further seven to eight years.
Here is the Belondrade y Lurton, an excellent Crianza white wine from the DO Rueda. A single varietal Verdejo, this Spanish white wine is made from over 30-year-old vineyards located at an altitude of 750 metres above sea level. The organically grown vines grow in soils composed of sand and pebble stones that bring a distinctive freshness and complexity to the wine.
Each plot was separately harvested and vinified. First, the grapes were cold-soaked and spontaneously fermented with their own yeasts in 300-litre French oak barrels. After that, 15% of this single varietal Verdejo from Rueda underwent malolactic fermentation. Then Belondrade y Lurton 2018 was blended and aged on its lees in the barrels for 10 months with periodic stirrings. Finally, this wine of the Belondrade winery was aged for a further 6 months in the cellar prior to its release.
Tasting Notes
The 2024 Quinta Apolonia shows signs of extreme youth. I think it’s a mistake to release the wines this young, as they need a little bit of time in bottle to settle. It has a slightly reductive and medicinal nose, with thiolic notes and a core of white flowers, pollen and white fruit. This is a blend of Verdejo from different plots and some 5% other varieties. It’s agile, elegant, nuanced and fresh, with some ripe flavors, 13.5% alcohol, a dry mouthfeel and a faint bitter twist in the finish. It fermented partly in used large barrels and the rest in stainless steel. 78,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2025.
[91++ Points, Luis Gutierrez, June 2025, robertparker.com]
