MARQUES DE GRIÑON DOMINIO DE VALDEPUSA
Our company exclusively produces and markets the fine wines and olive oils from the estates owned by the Falcó family, in particular the wines from the Dominio de Valdepusa, the family estate in Toledo, which produces some of the best and most innovative wines in Spain. The Dominio de Valdepusa has recently been recognised by the Spanish state as the first official “Vino de Pago” of the country and since the 2002 vintage has its own Denominación de Origen”. Our wines are consistently rated among the very best of Spain.
The Dominio de Valdepusa is located within the historical Señorío de Valdepusa near Malpica de Tajo (Toledo), 109 Km southwest from Madrid and 50 Km from Toledo. Forty two hectares are currently planted with vines, including the original vineyard (14 Ha) of Cabernet Sauvignon (1974). Since 1991, it has been progressively enlarged with Syrah (1991); Petit Verdot (1992) –both pioneers in Spain- and Graciano (2000) using Lyre and Smart-Dyson canopies. The use of these modern trellises advised by Dr. Richard Smart, the famous australian viticulturalist who has been a consultant to the Valdepusa estate since 1992, allows even exposure of bunches and leaves to sunlight and therefore uniform ripening, a key factor in the high quality of all Valdepusa wines. Carlos Falcó also pioneered in 1974 the first drip irrigation system in Europe and, possibly, the world.
The main house and the winery at Dominio de Valdepusa are historical 18th century buildings. The underground areas, which were completely renovated in 1989, are fitted with air conditioning systems, including hygrometric control, that allow barrel-ageing at controlled temperature and humidity levels. A bottling line of 2.000 bottles per hour, 1200 French oak barrels originating from Nevers and Allier (of which one third are renewed annually), as well as 25 stainless steel fermentation tanks, make up the rest of the winery installations. The XVIII th century farmhouse used as reception area holds four dining and tasting rooms with a combined capacity for 180 guests and the domain’s administrative offices. The central patio, which, like the rest of the winery, shows classic architecture from Toledo. It holds a lagar for treading grapes inaugurated in 1995 by Prince Felipe, future King of Spain, and his sister the Duchess of Lugo, and is used by visitors who want to experience such an ancient tradition.
The current production of the winery, with the advice of world renowned Bordeaux oenologist Michel Rolland[1], concentrates exclusively on the production of wines from the estate vineyards. The present varietal range includes Dominio de Valdepusa Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot. The production of the top cuvée -Emeritvs- the multi-varietal blend made from the best cuvees from of each variety-started in 1997 and was released three years later. The Dominio de Valdepusa wines are consistently acclaimed in competitions, guides and articles by national and international critics and appear amongst the top Spanish wines.
MARQUES DE GRIÑON EL RINCON
Located 55 Km to the south-west from Madrid, the El Rincón estate and manor house, where Mr. Falcó presently lives, was planted with 9 hectares of Syrah (90%) and Grenache (10%) grapes in 2000. A small winery was also built in 2001, where the first vintage (around 50.000 bottles) to be released in the spring of 2005. Our estates share a common operational philosophy, both in the vineyard and in the winery. It is interesting to note that the particular terroir of each estate, meteorized granite versus clay–limestone in Dominio de Valdepusa, is reflected in the wine. The unique soil of El Rincón lends it characteristics which make its profile more Atlantic, rather than continental, it has an elegant mid palate with distinct reminiscences of tree-shadowed herbs and flowers. However, for such a delicate wine, it has a remarkably long and lasting finish.
D. CARLOS FALCO Y FERNANDEZ DE CORDOVA
D. Carlos Falcó was born in Seville (Spain) in 1937 and is widely recognised as a pioneer in the modernisation of viticulture and wine making in Spain. He holds an agricultural engineering degree from the University of Louvain in Belgium and also graduated at the University of California (Davis) in 1963-64. He introduced the Syrah and Petit Verdot varieties in Spain, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon in Castilla La Mancha. His Dominio de Valdepusa estate in Toledo has been at the centre of his pioneering techniques with the introduction of drip irrigation (1974), Smart Dyson canopy management (1994), partial root dying (PRD) in 1999 and the use of electronic controls known as dendrometers to monitor water stress in the vines.
In June 1999, he published his first book, Entender de Vino, (ed. Martínez Roca), which has run into its tenth edition and won several national and international awards such as Best Gastronomic Publication awarded by the Cofradía de la Buena Mesa and the Academia Española de Gastronomía (Madrid) and Best Spanish Book on Wine awarded in the 1999 World Cookbook Awards (Versailles, France).
Currently, Don Carlos Falcó is President of Pagos de Familia Marqués de Griñon, S.A., owner of the Dominio de Valdepusa, and El Rincón estates and a board member of his region’s leading saving’s bank, Corporación Caja Castilla La Mancha.
M. Falcó has also interests in various associations and wine fraternities. He is also founder and chairman of Grandes Pagos de España (an association that groups some of the top wine estates in Spain), Vicepresident of the Spanish Academy of Gastronomy and President of the Academia Castellano-Manchega de Gastronomía. He is a life member of the wine fraternities of Rioja, Penedés, Bordeaux (Confrerie du Bontemps de Médoc and Bordeaux), Burgundy (Tastevins de Bourgogne) and Champagne.
Carlos Falcó comes from an ancient lineage which includes the titles Marqués de Griñón and Marqués de Castelmoncayo, granted to his ancestors by the Spanish kings; he is also a Grandee of Spain, the highest level amongst the Spanish nobility. Since the early 14th century, his family and the title Marqués de Griñón have been associated with the Señorío de Valdepusa, an historical estate located in the river Pusa’s Valley in the Toledo province, which includes a thirteenth century castle still occupied by a member of his family. He is married to Doña Fátima de la Cierva and has five children; the two oldest, Manolo and Xandra, are active in his firm.
[1] Bordeaux Professor Emile Peynaud was consultant from 1982 to 1990, when he retired and recommended Mr. Rolland as his successor.