OJO Y COILLO BENAVENTE ALTO 2023

OJO Y COÍLLO BENAVENTE ALTO 2023

Miguel Castro Maíllo is a young winemaker from Montilla who has developed his own project, reviving the winemaking tradition of the Sierra de Montilla with a personal touch. Trained in oenology in Cádiz and with initial experience in wineries in the Jerez region, he returned to his homeland to work with some of the most interesting vineyards in the area.

His project began in 2018, supported by his family and especially his grandfather, who gave him a small space within the family winery to start making wine. From there, he has built a small production focused on expressing the unique character of specific plots in the Sierra de Montilla.

His philosophy stems from a simple idea: to respect the way each vineyard expresses itself and amplify its qualities, allowing its origin to take center stage.

Philosophy

Miguel Castro works with a philosophy deeply rooted in the traditions of the Sierra de Montilla, where Pedro Ximénez has historically found one of its most important territories.

Instead of striving for uniform wines, his work focuses on specific plots, old vines, and traditional barrel aging methods. Biological aging, lees aging, and the character of the calcareous soils are essential to his approach to these wines.

Ojo y Coíllo Benavente Alto exemplifies this philosophy particularly well: a dry wine made from Pedro Ximénez and small proportions of indigenous varieties, in which the albariza soil, aging, and freshness are far more prominent than the ripeness or sweetness typically associated with Pedro Ximénez.

Production, Vintage, Vineyard, and Varieties

Ojo y Coíllo Benavente Alto 2023 comes from the Benavente Alto area, in the Vereda del Cerro Macho zone, within the Sierra de Montilla mountain range. The vineyard consists of bush vines between 40 and 80 years old, planted on albariza soil, a lumpy and highly calcareous marl characteristic of this region.

The 2023 vintage is composed of 90% Pedro Ximénez and 10% of other minor indigenous varieties. The harvest is done by hand, and fermentation takes place in old casks, where the wine then remains on its lees and undergoes biological aging under a veil of flor yeast.

After a few months, the lees are removed, and the wine continues aging until the next harvest. Finally, it is transferred to a stainless steel tank, where it remains for approximately one month before bottling.

Aging in oak barrels under a veil of flor completely transforms the expression of Pedro Ximénez, moving it away from the sweet and exuberant profiles we usually associate with this variety. Here we find a dry, vertical, mineral, and saline wine, in which the albariza soil plays a leading role.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Bright, clean, and luminous golden yellow.

Nose: Expressive and complex, with citrus, ripe white fruit, and flowers, accompanied by delicate hints of yeast, almond, and dried fruit. The flor adds depth and personality, while the calcareous character of the vineyard appears as a well-defined mineral background.

Palate: Dry, fresh, and with great tension. The entry is direct and flavorful, with a marked saline sensation that lingers across the palate. The acidity provides verticality and balance, while the biological aging introduces notes of almond, yeast, and slight bitter nuances that increase its complexity. The finish is long, dry, and mineral, with a persistence that invites another sip.

It is a wine of great personality, in which the Pedro Ximénez grape demonstrates a fresh, dry, and profoundly mineral character.

Pairing

Ojo y Coíllo Benavente Alto 2023 is especially food-friendly and pairs wonderfully with Iberian ham, cured meats, salted fish, and smoked fish, as well as shellfish and intensely flavored fish. Its biological aging finds a natural affinity with fried fish and seafood, especially Andalusian cuisine, while its saline and dry character allows it to be enjoyed with olives, almonds, and spiced dishes. It is also excellent with aged cheeses and Asian dishes featuring fermented ingredients, umami flavors, or slightly spicy sauces.

Ojo y Coíllo Benavente Alto 2023 is a magnificent demonstration of the potential of dry Pedro Ximénez in the Sierra de Montilla. Old vines, albariza soil, and biological aging combine to create a white wine of enormous personality, where freshness, salinity, and minerality blend with the complexity imparted by the flor. A single-vineyard wine that celebrates Montilla's traditions with a contemporary perspective.