Valquejigoso - The Winery

The Design

The design of Valquejigoso's winery tries to be an example of how the container has to adjust to a specific function and fully fulfill the aim of its creation: produce with the utmost care and in the best possible conditions its most valuable product: wine.

Once this main mission fulfilled, the winery is built following unusual parameters. The facilities are equiped with state-of-the-art technology to cover the requirements of the varied processes or tasks needed until the end product leaves the facilities. The winery also locates itself in a priviledged environment and fulfills a last objective: it constantly winks at us and give us sensual messages in order for us to discover its most aesthetic or artistic part, which, although being a minor one, fulfills an important mission within the context of a wonderful and harmonious environment.

Winemaking

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After cooling the grapes, they undergo a severe selection, both at bunch and berry levels before putting them in small capacity truncated cone shape tanks by gravity and in French oak vats. The aim of this process is to differentiate the production of the different plots of our vineyard in order to vinify separately each grape varitety coming from the 69 different plots into which the farm is divided.

Subsequently, the wines are aged in French oak vats and barrels, always bearing in mind the optimization of the time in wood with the aim of keeping the fruit character of the wines.

The barrels

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Bottling and wine rack

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Discover the steps of the production of the wines at Valquejigoso

Valquejigoso - The Winery - Grape reception

Palets of full crates coming from our vineyard enter the winery through an elevator and are stored in a refrigerated warehouse before selection.

Valquejigoso - The Winery - Cooling of the harvest

All harvested grapes in Valquejigoso are cooled at 4º to 7ºC in order to homogenize their temperature before manual selection. The aim is to lower the temperature of the berries to avoid premature fermentation and favor their correct handling, destemming, crushing and maceration.

Valquejigoso - The Winery - Grape selection in the winery

All bunches processed in Valquejigoso are submitted to a thourough selection and control. First, on the conveyor belt bunches are selected and secondly, after destemming on a vibrating belt, green berries are eliminated as well as all stalks remaining on the berries.

Valquejigoso - The Winery - Entering the tank

Once the berries have been selected, they can be crushed or not and then put in fermentation tanks and moved in special containers in order not to pump them.

Valquejigoso - The Winery - Red wine fermentation

The production of red wines in Valquejigoso is made in oak vats and in stainless steel tanks of different sizes. After a period of cold pre-fermentation, alcoholic fermentation starts. It will last between 10 and 15 days. Once finished, the wine will be left on skins post-fermentation before raking in an inert atmosphere.

Valquejigoso - The Winery - White wine fermentation

After cooling the grapes, bunches and berries are selected and put in stainless steel tanks, where dry ice is added to avoid the oxydation of the juice. A cold maceration is made for 2 to 3 days to extract primary aromas of each variety and each soil.

After that maceration, the juice is separated from the skins and pips. For our white wine, only the free run juice is used, which is the purest and the most concentrated one.

After alcoholic fermentation, the wine is racked to separate it from the gross lees. Wines are transferred to oak barrels for a period of 10 to 14 months. During that period, batonnage is made in the barrels. After barrel ageing, wines stay for around 6 months in an egg shaped concrete 16 hl vat.

Valquejigoso - The Winery - Barrel ageing

The best barrels (225 l) come from a variety of coopers. Selected woods are always French oak with an extra fine grain, specially crafted for Valquejigoso to meet the requirements asked by the winery. 100% of the wines aged in Valquejigoso see new oak barrels every year. The latter are renewed after wines have been aged. Reds remain in oak for a period of 24 to 30 months and whites between 16 and 20 months.

The final blending is the result of many trials, hundreds of blends and countless tastings. Once the final blend is decided, the wine is left to rest a few days before bottling. The wines at Valquejigoso are not fined before bottling.

Bottling also takes place within Valquejigoso's premises. Since at bottling only a light filter is made, over time some dregs might appear in the bottle. It is a proof of quality.

Valquejigoso - The Winery - Ageing in wine rack

After final blending and bottling are done, the wines remain in the wine rack. Reds will stay 24 months and whites 12 months.

The bottle actually used in Valquejigoso is the result of four years of work with different glass manufacturers. The goals pursued were a better product protection, isolation of the wine from the effects of temperature, light and vibration and a unique and beautiful design which would generate curiosity in the consumer and one that could not be easily copied.

The bottom of the bottle is also special because the typical grooves are replaced by the name of the estate and the 5 leave clover in the center.

The cork in Valquejigoso is long and clean, carefully selected among the best suppliers of the Iberic Peninsula. They are natural corks, previously tasted by the technical team of Valquejigoso.