León

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Terroir

• Soils with low organic matter content, light-bodied, low in clay, well-drained, and with adequate limestone levels.
• Summers with scorching daytime temperatures and cool nights: the diurnal temperature swings promote the grape's natural acidity.
• High summer luminosity encourages photosynthesis and the accumulation of sugars and polyphenols in the berries.
• Mild, moderately rainy autumns allow for a strong finish to ripening, balancing alcohol, acidity, and polyphenols.
• Soils with low mineral salt content, deep and root-penetrable, well suited to aromatic white varieties.

• Long pruning: a traditional technique used to manage the irregular yields of Prieto Picudo and maintain quality.
• The «madreo» technique for producing rosés, exclusive to this zone, is practised by numerous wineries.

• Rosés and reds display intense, warm colours; the freshness of the rosés is linked to a natural acidity of ~5.5 g/l of tartaric acid in the must.

• High summer luminosity → accumulation of polyphenols → intense, warm colours in rosés and reds.

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 PDO-ES-A0882
• Official trade body site — D.O. León