Mantel Blanco Verdejo
"This is exceptionally good Verdejo,….. There are several “exceptional” aspects to its excellence, including unusually impressive palate weight and a generously rounded mouthfeel." —
Michael Franz, Editor Wine Review Online
Grape(s)
100% Verdejo from estate grapes 30 years old from Pago de la Serna vineyard
Altitude/Soil
770 meters / alluvial soils composed of sand, clay and pebbles
Farming Methods
Traditional methods / Sustainable agriculture
Harvest
Machine-picked at night
Production
Grapes were destemmed and underwent an overnight cold maceration with skins prior to pressing, fermented in stainless steel tank
Aging
Aged for a few months on fine lees prior to bottling
Mantel Blanco Verdejo
2022
92 (WRO) 89 (VfC)
| 92 |
Wine Review Online |
This is superb Verdejo, complete and fully ready to enjoy either as an aperitif or a table wine. It is lightly herbal and citrusy, in keeping with the variety’s tendencies. Displaying fine concentration, it zig-zags between seeming medium-bodied when first tasted on its own, but then lighter as the acidity kicks in during the persistent finish — but then seeming more powerful again when tried with food. Zesty and fresh, but also offering layered aromas and flavors that keep this from seeming simple, this delivers everything delivered by Pinot Grigio — plus a lot more, and at a comparable price.
Michael Franz - August 22, 2023 |
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| 89 |
View from the Cellar |
The 2022 Verdejo Mantel Blanco bottling is made from vines that are thirty years of age, with the grapes picked at night to keep acidities as bright as possible. The 2022 version is lovely aromatically, wafting from the glass in a mix of tart pear, green olive, fresh lime, a pretty base of soil tones, a touch of damp grass and a topnote of white flowers. On the palate the wine is bright, fullish and zesty, with a good core, nice soil undertow and grip, fine focus and a long, fairly complex finish. I always think of Verdejo from Rueda as Spain’s version of Sancerre and this pretty 2022 from Montel Blanco is certainly in that style. Good honest juice. 2023-2029.
John Gilman - Issue #103 - January/February 2023. |
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Mantel Blanco Verdejo
2023
93 (WRO) 92 (TA) 90 (VfC)
| 93 |
Wine Review Online |
I wonder whether reviewers put a “ceiling” on the scores they will accord to white varieties such as Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo, whether subconsciously (to avoid seeming out-of-step with other critics) or consciously (because these wines really aren’t made to be cellared for many years to benefit from the magic of tertiary development). Be that as it may, this is terrific white wine, balancing serious density with excellent freshness and linear “drive” while also offering impressive complexity without the pungency that can make similarly styled, high-end Sauvignon Blancs difficult to match successfully with a wide range of foods. This could be sipped on its own with great pleasure, but could likewise stand up to a grilled fish steak or a rotisserie chicken, and there’s no need to take a pork or veal chop out of the conversation. Very few newly-released white wines can measure up to this for versatility — or sheer deliciousness.
Michael Franz Jun 11, 2024 |
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| 92 |
Tim Atkin MW |
The Verdejo for Mantel Blanco comes from the estate’s own vineyards in Pago de la Serna at
770m, all managed sustainably. Vinified in stainless steel, it is a fresh and lively Verdejo but
with some concentration and palate weight from an extended time on lees. It is a very pure
expression of both the stony nature of the vineyard and the variety with intense grassy notes
and zippy citrus fruits. 2024-27
Tim Atkin - March 2024 |
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| 90 |
View from the Cellar |
The 2023 Verdejo Mantel Blanco bottling is crafted from older vines, as these vineyards are now more than thirty years-old and the grapes are again, picked at night to keep up acidity levels. The wine offers up a lovely nose of gooseberry, limepeel, salty soil tones, orange blossoms and a topnote of gentle grassiness. On the palate the wine is pure, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a good core, lovely soil inflection and grip, a fine girdle of acidity and a long, poised and very nicely balanced finish. I always think of Rueda Verdejo as the Sancerre of Spain and this certainly seems like an appropriate moniker for the lovely 2023 Mantel Blanco bottling. 2024- 2030.
John Gilman; Issue 109, January – February 2024 |
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Mantel Blanco Verdejo
2024
93 (WRO) 92 (VfC)
| 93 |
Wine Review Online |
This producer consistently turns out exemplary Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc from high elevations in Rueda (2,500+ feet), and the only problem posed by the wines is difficulty establishing a preference between the two. From many vintages, I can’t manage to do that and score the wines identically, but when I do have a preference, it is usually for the Verdejo — as in 2024. This is quite complex aromatically and in terms of flavor, with a faint floral note, fruit that recalls multiple citrus fruits, and also an underlying tropical suggestion, along with accents of dried herbs and minerals. Many Rueda Verdejos are lean and refreshing but not much more than that, whereas this is medium-bodied with impressive roundness but still lots of refreshing, linear energy.
Wine Review Online; Michael Franz; August 13, 2025. |
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| 92 |
View from the Cellar |
I love good Verdejo from Rueda, as the wine can be so beautifully extroverted in
personality. The 2024 Verdejo Mantel Blanco is most assuredly a fine example of this underrated varietal. The bouquet here hops from the glass in a mix of gooseberry, fresh lime, a touch of cut grass, citrus peel and salty soil tones. On the palate the wine is vibrant, zesty, full-bodied and complex, with a beautiful core of fruit, excellent soil signature, excellent focus and balance and a long, classy finish. This is a lovely bottle and a great value! 2025-2032.
John Gilman, Issue 117, May– June 2025 |
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