The village of La Seca in the heart of DO Rueda is the home of Bodegas Vidal Soblechero, makers of the excellent white wine Viña Clavidor Cepas Viejas. More than half of the property is planted with the white Verdejo, but the family also farm some Tinta Fina (Tempranillo) and old Viura vines.
Vidal and Alicia founded the small Vidal Soblechero winery in the 1990s. The vineyard is built on the legacy handed down by their father, Claudio, and by his parents before him, who for forty years tended the family’s 42 hectares of vineyard with the utmost care. Alicia and Vidal focus on quality over volume and are committed to a traditional and organic approach to their winemaking to ensure their wines fully express the terroir of this wonderful region.
Tradition and old vines
Alicia and Vidal are proud of their focus on old vines. With an average age of 80 years, these vines have been cared for and passed down through the generations, along with the traditional knowledge and techniques needed to transmit their full potential to the wines. That accumulated wisdom and sense of heritage sets this vineyard apart and puts Vidal Soblechero a cut above the average Verdejo producer.
Discover the vineyards
Take a trip to one of Alicia and Vidal’s vineyards where they grow the Verdejo grapes used as part of the blend in their Viña Calvidor wine. At around 750m above sea level, this plot is managed using traditional techniques based on the cycles of nature to ensure balance and greater depth in their wines.
The importance of soil types
The vineyards are located in and around La Seca in the heart of DO Rueda. Here the soil is covered with large stones that have been shaped and polished over centuries by the action of the River Duero. By helping to control temperatures and avoiding the growth of surface grasses, these stones play a key role in shaping the personality of the vineyard’s wines.
An organic approach
The family take a very organic approach to their winemaking. Whether it’s avoiding phytosanitary products in the vineyard, using hawks as a form of pest control, or fermenting with natural yeasts, everything the family do is based on traditional, natural techniques and minimum intervention. Which allows the terroir, the vines and the grapes to express themselves in their wonderful wines.