Until very recently, only the bodegas in the Marco de Jerez were talked about. The uniqueness of the criaderas and soleras system, and the complexity of the biological (under flor) and oxidative ageing methods, made this possible. The wineries of the Marco de Jerez have been able to safeguard an artisanal system, that works boot by boot, decanter by decanter, and which is of enormous value. To such an extent that it is legitimate to speak of the “terroir” of the bodega, of the importance of the location of the buildings and the design of their natural ventilation.
In recent years, we have begun to recognise the importance of the vineyards and the different types of albariza soils, and their connection with the different sensations that we can perceive in the wines, whether fortified or white wines. This is the second dimension of the Marco wines. It was necessary to go back to the land. We had forgotten it.
After the crises of the 1980s and 1990s, most of the wineries sold their vineyards, which were bought by small and medium-sized winegrowers. They organised themselves into cooperatives, in order to be able to better negotiate prices and conditions within the framework. And to democratise the operation, the cooperatives began to blend all the grapes from the different types of land, and give them all the same value. The wineries began to feed on these base wines, which were blends that no longer gave the specificity of a soil or a plot, but rather showed a general idea of the area.
It is therefore a marvel to rediscover the uniqueness of each estate, where its geographical position, its proximity or remoteness to the ocean or river, its orientation, or the characteristics of its soil define its identity. The palomino grape is so subtle that it is capable of transmitting all these particularities.
However, for us, there is a missing dimension to be aware of, and that is viticulture. We can be in any of the large vineyards of the Marco, with old palomino vines, and half of the plot, work it in conventional agriculture (that is: use of herbicides and pesticides; use of chemical fertilisers; use of deep ploughing and soil rotation, etc.), and the other half, work it in organic and biodynamic agriculture (that is: without the use of herbicides and pesticides; use of chemical fertilisers; use of deep ploughing and soil rotation, etc.).), and the other half, to work it in organic and biodynamic agriculture (i.e.: no use of herbicides and pesticides, neither systemic nor penetrating; use of natural compost in small quantities, tilling on the surface, and without soil rotation, managing green covers, etc.); the resulting grapes in each part of the plot will be completely different.
Thus, viticulture is necessarily the third dimension in the quest for excellence in Marco de Jerez wines. In vineyard management there are a large number of decisions to be made: when, how much and how to till the soil; the amount of compost and the type to apply; the types and methods of treatment; the management of pruning; the decision on when to harvest the grapes, and so on.
And if I dare say it, I would say that viticulture is the most important dimension, because the greatest mystery is not in the cellar, but in the work of the vines to transform light and cosmic energies into fruit that we can eat. What we then do to create wine is of no merit compared to the work they do.
Having the best raw material: the best palomino grape, the work lies in not spoiling this product, in maintaining its quality and uniqueness in the winery.
