De la Riva : Macharnudo San Cayetano 2025

Characteristics and Tasting Notes for the Macharnudo San Cayetano 2025 from De la Riva

Tasting

This wine stands out for its exceptional finesse and elegance. The palate is particularly delicate and precise, offering a pronounced saline structure.

Food and Wine Pairing
This cuvée pairs wonderfully with seafood and fish, whether raw as in sushi or cooked. It also works beautifully with white meats, fine charcuterie, or richer dishes such as wagyu beef.

Serving and Cellaring
Although the Macharnudo San Cayetano 2025 is already very approachable in its youth, it has great ageing potential and will develop beautifully in the cellar for many years to come.

The Pure Expression and Balance of a Spanish Wine from Andalusia

The Estate
Located in Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, the De la Riva bodega is a fascinating winemaking project. While the estate's original history dates back to the 19th century, the current structure was founded in 2017. Winemakers Willy Pérez and Ramiro Ibáñez, the current owners, have revived this historic old brand to showcase the local terroirs. Their philosophy is rooted in artisanal production, aiming to reconnect prestigious vineyards with high-quality wines while reviving forgotten traditional methods.

The Vineyard
The grapes for this Spanish wine come from the San Cayetano plot, located within the renowned Macharnudo pago. This historic site, whose origins date back to 1269, was ranked among the ten most important vineyards in the world in 2022. The vines, planted in 1988 and pruned according to the traditional Vara y Pulgar method, span 3.35 hectares. They thrive on albarizas de barajuelas soils, a very pure, chalky earth formed from microscopic algae fossils. The Atlantic climate provides an average temperature of 17°C, 600 litres of annual rainfall, 72% humidity, and generous sunshine exceeding 3,000 hours per year.

The Vintage
2025 was a particularly demanding year for the vines due to a severe outbreak of mildew, which significantly reduced yields. However, the surviving bunches were able to draw all the energy from the vines, resulting in remarkable concentration.

Winemaking and Ageing
The grapes for the Macharnudo San Cayetano 2025 were harvested by hand on 15 August 2025, with careful sorting in small crates. In the cellar, fermentation began spontaneously thanks to indigenous yeasts in 615-litre barrels, with no temperature control whatsoever. The wine then underwent biological ageing under a veil of flor for a full year, before being bottled on 3 July 2026.

Grape Variety
100% Palomino Fino