Totaling a minuscule 0.2 hectares in size, it is remarkable that Yavallo has so many different grape varieties packed into such a tiny, enclosed space. Mainly 60% Merenzao (Trousseau), Yavallo also has Rufete, Juan García, Tincadeira Preta, Mencía, Cariñena and about 5% Doña Blanca as well as a few other varieties that make it into the final blend. But talk of varieties is moot since Yavallo is all about the place – old vines on sandy red schist soils. Harvested by hand in a single day, Yavallo is fermented whole cluster with indigenous yeasts after a 4-5 day cold maceration. Fermentation and maceration last up to 40 days followed by aging for 12 months in a single 300L French oak barrel.
