Bodegas Mocén

More than 2000 years ago, the Romans introduced in Spain the vine and the wine and, with it, the whole civilization that has marked the life of the Mediterranean countries until today.The life together around a plaza, the appreciation for the good food and for the good wine became a trait of the Spanish culture since then.

After the Romans, other peoples have settled in Spain, enriching the culture and the gastronomy of the peninsula. The Arabs came to Castile in the VIII century, bringing the vine of the white Grape "Verdejo". Today, the variety Verdejo has turned into the predominant grape in the Rueda Designation of Origin.

After the discovery of America, the Spanish Court reaches its maximum splendor and this contributed to the big development of the wine-growing in the area of the river Duero and especially in the Rueda environments. It was during those times when the galleries of Bodegas Mocén were built.

Placed in a high plateau of soft reliefs, the Denomination of Origin Rueda extends its vineyards along typically stony wide areas, an exceptional habitat for the variety Verdejo. The influence of the river Duero, the long winters with frequent late frosts and the extremely dry and warm summers are factors that determine the characteristics or Rueda.

The rain is scarce in Rueda. It is about 480mm annually within an average of 83 rainy days per year. This factor forces the vines to search for water resources deep underground, much more than in other European regions. 2.800 hours/year of sun allows the vines to develop an intense photosynthetic activity. The difference between day and night temperatures is key to the balance the grape must have between the sugar provided by the sun and the acidity it does not lose during the cooler nights.

The estate of Bodegas Mocén is located at 700metres above sea level on one of the terraces of the left-hand margin of the hydrographical basin of the Duero. It is fertile vine-growing land par excellence, made up of alluvial soil with small pebbles, clay and sandstone, which protect the vine form extreme temperatures and provide the humidity required for their development during summer.

There are 300 hectares of land planted with the most modern espalier techniques, drip feed irrigation, organic irrigation and mechanized harvesting, in an estate that is fenced off for its embellishment, and in which our autochthonous varieties are grown.

The vineyards, which are owned by Bodegas Mocén, are harvested by night in order to avoid the oxidation of the verdejo grape. All the winemaking process is strictly supervised being fulfilled the standards IFS and ISO 9000. We use stainless steel trailers to transport the grape from the vineyard to the winery.

Once there, the must obtained by pressing the grape is filtered via a vacuum pump. Later, the fermentation will take place in two different ways: the white juice will be cooling in order to remain their aromas whereas the red juice will stirring with their lees for eventually descend to the centenary cellars of Bodegas Mocén when they will rest for long time in American and French oak barrels.

In Bodegas Mocén, the centenary galleries of XV and XVI centuries are now living together with the state-of-the-art technology:

Tapes of grape selection, automatic hydraulic presses, self–emptying tanks with refrigeration system and controlled pressure control, maximum cleanliness in the whole process.