Bodega Tesalia is located in the Sierra de Grazalema, in Cadiz, next to the historic town of Arcos de la Frontera. For centuries, Arcos was a strategic city coveted for its privileged location. Its name dates back to Roman times when it was founded as Arx-Arcis (the high fortress).
A mountain range between two seas
The finca of Tesalia has a total area of 106 hectares. Of the 22 hectares dedicated to the winery, 12.5 hectares are vineyards, the others are dedicated to horse breeding and training, and the rest is farmland.
The vineyards are planted on slightly undulating north-facing trellises. The soil is the classic Andalusian terrain: clayey and not very fertile soils on a chalk subsoil.
The climate is warm and sunny, tempered by the Mediterranean and Atlantic influences of the Sierra de Grazalema. These conditions are favored by the careful location of the vineyard on north-facing slopes, with pruning structures designed to promote aeration and shade.
With an average temperature of 17.3ºc, rain falls mainly in winter, between 600 and 700 mm. These special characteristics create ideal ripening conditions for varieties such as Petit Verdot and the native Tintilla de Rota.
Harvesting is done by hand at night and the 10 vineyard parcels are vinified separately and then blended, thus achieving greater complexity in the wines. We have no established formulas: blends depend only on the crop.
Irrigation is only used to alleviate vine water stress and maximize grape quality. The elimination of leaves and pruning of bunches is also crucial to promote ripening.
Control is total, even sectors within the same plot are measured according to their pH levels, sugar and the very taste of their grapes, which are often harvested over two-week periods to optimize ripeness and quality.
In-depth soil research led to the use of rootstocks and clones of both indigenous and international varieties, such as Petit Verdot and Tintilla de Rota. Other varieties planted are Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Elaboration
Wine rules
Once harvested, the grapes go to the sorting table and the destemmer. Each variety is gravity fed into small stainless steel or wood fermentation tanks. During maceration, the temperature of fermentation and the time and type of pumping over are decided by tasting. Each tank is tailor-made.
The grapes are then pressed and transferred to French oak barrels. During its permanence in wood, the blends of varieties of each wine are made, finishing the aging process as a whole, thus achieving the perfect balance.
The final time in barrel is decided by tasting each wine, and after a gentle clarification process, they are bottled.
