Two to three hours northwest of the city of Madrid is a small town of Morales de Toro in the province of Zamora within Castilla y Leon, Spain. The region is semi-arid with brown limestone soils of sand and clay. It is here that Bodega Dominio del Bienamado or the Domaine of the Beloved resides. The wines are under the guidance of founder and winemaker David Pastor Rodriguez who works with native varietals of Malvasia, Verdejo, Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) and Garnacha.

The selection of wines from this Bodega were some of the most impressive during a recent tasting of the wines from Castilla y Leon, Spain. They fly under the radar for most but are well reviewed by wine critics. This wine is composed of 100% Verdejo aged for eight months in new 500 liter French Oak barrique. Glistening golden yellow in appearance this lush wine flaunts perfumed aromas of dried orange peel and honeycomb. The inner core has an exhilarating personality of exotic citrus fruits, caramelized Meyer lemon, baked apricot tart and fresh herbs. Thyme and finely crushed limestone gently blend into the background adding another dimension and more complexity to the wine. The sweet oak is pleasantly noticeable as the wine layers across the palate to a caressing finish.

By W Peter Hoyne