Marques de Grinon

A unique winery located near Toledo, Marqués de Griñón was the first in Spain to be awarded the prestigious Vinos de Pago status.

The heart of the estate, Dominio de Valdepusa, has belonged to the family of the current owner, Carlos Falcó, since 1292. Carlos Falcó, referred to as the father of Spanish wine, pioneered the modernisation of vine growing and winemaking in Spain. In 1974, he was the one who introduced the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varieties into Spain, and then later to his own region the Chardonnay, Syrah and Graciano varieties.

The winery is open to innovation – he always seeks the advice of internationally renowned experts such as Émile Peynaud and Michel Rolland in winemaking matters. Currently, in the historic domain of Valdepusa, vineyards occupy an area of 50 hectares, including the oldest Cabernet Sauvignon vineyard in Spain, which covers 14 hectares.

Winemaker Julio Mourelle has been the right-hand man of the owner since 1995. Julio studied oenology in California and, when he returned home as a young and innovative expert, the Marqués de Griñon winery was a perfect match for him with its creative and innovative attitude.

According to the philosophy of Marqués de Griñón, good wine is born in the vineyard, thus they are constantly seeking new viticultural methods to develop their production. The soil here is similar to that of Bordeaux – predominantly limestone. The vineyards lie at an elevation of 500 metres and the climate is continental.

In Valdepusa, they encourage the roots to go deep into the subsoil, for example, they avoid tillage and instead use surface mulching, additionally, they use ceptonic potting tubes which stop the roots from having contact with the first 25 cm of clay topsoil. The grapes are carefully picked and strictly selected by hand to highlight the special characteristics of the vineyard.

The ripeness of grapes is determined using the oldest and most effective method in the world – tasting. The winery is focused on producing red wines from their own vineyards, and their collection mostly comprises single-variety wines.

In 2002, Dominio de Valdepusa estate was the first to be granted the Vino de Pago Denomination of Origin. In 2003 the European Union convalidated this recognition, making Dominio de Valdepusa the first Spanish estate to receive such a recognition. A similar classification has previously been granted to legendary vineyards such as Romanée Conti (Burgundy) or Sassicaia (Toscana).

Vino de Pago
Vino de Pago is a classification for Spanish wine applied to individual vineyards or wine estates which was introduced in 2002. Vino de Pago wines have to be produced from estate-grown grapes and have to be processed and aged in a winery (bodega) located on the estate.

A family winery

For those who love tradition – Marqués de Griñón has been owned by the same family since 1292.

Open to innovation

For those who are open-minded – the owner consults with all internationally renowned experts and is not afraid to implement new techniques.

The Spanish Bordeaux

For those who love classics – what does Bordeux have that Marqués de Griñón does not? Absolutely nothing!