Betanzos

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Lithological substrate dominated by schistose rocks of the Serie de Ordes; valleys with alluvial and colluvial deposits.
• Deep soils with loam to silt-loam textures, permeable and well-aerated, with high capacity for spring warming.
• Maritime Mediterranean climate with traces of humid continental influence; mean annual temperature close to 14 °C.
• Atlantic influence moderates temperatures during ripening (August–September), preserving malic acid and aromatic potential.
• Sunshine hours as a limiting factor: they condition low alcohol levels and high acidity values.

• Documented reputation since 1752: the Catastro de Ensenada records approximately 1,100 ha of vineyard, establishing viticulture as a monoculture in the area.
• Manual pruning and training as a distinctive practice; indigenous varieties adapted to the environment, including blanco legítimo, agudelo, Mencía, and brancellao.

• Whites: pale golden-yellow to lemon colour, fruity and floral aromas, fresh with acidic notes; reds: cherry red with violet highlights, aromas of wild berries, lightly tannic.
• Defining characteristic: lightness and softness, with moderate alcohol, a result of borderline light and temperature conditions.

• Maximum temperatures below 25 °C in August–September limit the combustion of malic acid, preserving the aromatic potential of the wines.

Facts drawn from the cahier's terroir-link section (Lien au terroir) by automatic interpretation — see the the specification.

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PGI-ES-A1257
• Official trade body site — AGACAL — IXP Betanzos