The campaign has progressed quickly due to the weather conditions, and it is expected that the sugar level of the picked grape will favour the production of excellent wines
La Seca, 27 September de 2023.- Bodega Cuatro Rayas takes stock after finishing a shorter harvesting period than in previous years. The campaign started picking Sauvignon Blanc on the 24 of August and lasted for 34 days, whereby wine grower members carried out the delivery of the Verdejo, Viura and Palomino Fino vineyards into the winery until they delivered the last trailer with Tempranillo into its facilities on the 26 of September. Regarding the number of picked grapes, it has decreased by 15% compared with the previous year, both for the cooperative winery and for the currently estimated yield in the appellation of origin Rueda as a whole, which contrasts with the figures of the previous campaign, that stood out for becoming one of the most bountiful in recent years.
Cuatro Rayas’ cooperative members unloaded promptly and constantly the grapes in the winery, with a break driven by the rainfall during the first days of September, which, even though they were beneficial to water the plants, made it necessary to speed up the unloading pace at the winery once the picking tasks were resumed to maintain the health status of the fruit. In terms of aromas, as explained by Elena M. Oyagüe—Technical Director and winemaker of Bodega Cuatro Rayas—the high quality of these campaign’s Verdejo grapes suggests a vintage of complex, structured and fatty varietal wines featuring fruity and white flower notes in their flavour profile.
The 2023 campaign has been characterised by having a relatively low sugar level, making it perfect for producing high-quality wines. In this regard, it is estimated that the new vintages of young Bodega Cuatro Rayas wines—mainly from vineyards harvested mechanically at night to maintain as much as possible the organoleptic properties of the grape—will be released around January 2024, while wines on lees, it is estimated they will be available for purchase from March.

GRAN VINO DE RUEDA
Grapes for these exclusive and gastronomic-oriented brands come from carefully selected vineyard terrains thanks to their uniqueness since the soil characteristics, the age of the vines, and their limited yield offer optimal conditions to obtain superior quality grapes from them. Vineyards for this kind of wine are harvested manually and selectively; later, the grape is processed using small-batch dedicated machinery so that every step of the winemaking process can be carried out as gently as possible. Afterwards, the free-run must obtained after the inert pressing—in the absence of oxygen to avoid oxidation—starts the vinification in vats made of different materials (wood, stainless steel, and concrete) to enhance the particular organoleptic profile of every batch of grapes. Wines under this category from this year’s harvest campaign will not be released until October 2024.


















