Winemaker Notes
Dominio de Eguren was founded by the fourth generation of the Eguren family. Marcos Eguren is the winemaker and Miguel Angel Eguren is the general manager. The philosophy of the project is the selection and vinification of the highest quality grapes from contracted vineyards that the family controls in Manchuela. Planted on trellis, these vineyards of Tempranillo, Bobal, Viura (Macabeo), and Airén were selected by the family for their advanced age, poor soils, and unique microclimate.
The family performs a selection of the highest quality grapes and vinifies with a cold soak and stainless steel fermentation to produce young, clean, high quality, affordable Spanish wine.
The Moors gave it the name, ‘Manxa,’ which fittingly means ‘parched earth.’ La Mancha, the largest Spanish wine producing region in all of Spain, is one of its hottest and driest. Sturdy and drought-resistant white varieietes like Airen, Viura and Verdejo thrive in this environment.
With hundreds of white grape varieties to choose from, winemakers have the freedom to create a virtually endless assortment of blended white wines. In many European regions, strict laws are in place determining the set of varieties that may be used in white wine blends, but in the New World, experimentation is permitted and encouraged. Blending can be utilized to enhance balance or create complexity, lending different layers of flavors and aromas. For example, a variety that creates a soft and full-bodied white wine blend, like Chardonnay, would do well combined with one that is more fragrant and naturally high in acidity. Sometimes small amounts of a particular variety are added to boost color or aromatics. Blending can take place before or after fermentation, with the latter, more popular option giving more control to the winemaker over the final qualities of the wine.