Valeyo 2021 Mauro Bierzo

project

Set against an impressive landscape, and following the gradual acquisition and planting of vineyards, Bodegas Mauro established itself in the historic Bierzo region in 2021 with the purchase and renovation of an ancestral winery in Villafranca and the production of the red wine Valeyo. This limited production initiative is dedicated to the excellence, freshness, and aroma of the Mencia grape variety.

Environment

Bierzo is surrounded by mountains and offers diverse relief, climate and soil conditions that allow for the production of great wines with a distinct Atlantic character.

The “Hoya Berciana (Berciana-Schale)” lies between 500 and 700 meters above sea level, at the intersection of the two Iberian climate zones (Mediterranean and Atlantic) with a more temperate and milder microclimate on complex, loose soils of sands and decomposed schists, which give the wines a great minerality.

Vineyards

Bodegas Mauro owns 10 hectares of vineyards in the municipalities of Valtuille de Arriba and Villafranca del Bierzo, planted with the Godello and Mencía varieties.

Valeyo comes from Miguel Rey's 3-hectare property in Valtuille de Arriba, at an altitude of 650 meters. With yields between 4,000 and 5,000 kg, the vines are trained and cultivated organically and using biodynamic methods to ensure preventative and sustainable viticulture.

Winery

The winery is located in the heart of Villafranca's old town, housed in two traditional buildings that have been restored in keeping with the Bierzo architectural style, of which they are prime examples. Evidence of this is the predominance of the typical covered corridor with a wooden railing running along the facade from one side to the other, and the use of the three traditional Bierzo building materials: stone for the thick walls, slate for the roof, and chestnut wood.

winemaking

The grape harvest takes place by hand at the beginning of September, with the first grapes being selected in the vineyard. The grapes arrive at the winery in 15-kilogram crates, are destemmed after sorting, and transferred by gravity into concrete tanks where alcoholic fermentation begins with native yeasts. After fermentation, the wine matures for 12 months in new and used 500-liter French oak barrels.

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