After visiting NYC with Alvaro and the team the inspiration came for a new line of super bubbly pet nats. It is in homage to both Ismael's home town of Nieva (and the famous aqueduct in Segovia) juxtaposed with New York (and the Brooklyn Bridge). These are organically grown Verdejo vines planted a long time ago (mostly pre-phylloxera plots) on slate, phyllite, and loam soils at an elevation of 900m. The grapes are hand harvested, pressed in a vertical press and fermented with indigenous yeasts at a low temperatures. The fermentation completes after a few months in the bottle and is disgorged by hand and topped up with dry wine from the same batch. No fining, filtering, and zero SO2 is used.

Microbio

Ismael Gozalo is a fifth generation winegrower and winemaker from Nieva, a village in the province of Segovia. This is Verdejo country and Ismael is colloquially known as ‘the wizard of Verdejo’.

His family is custodian to some of the oldest vines of Verdejo in Spain, with holdings across 27.5 hectares. Ismael chooses the first selection of fruit for MicroBio and sells the remaining 60-70%, to other producers including Marquis de Riscal and Ossian. There are years of exception though, and 2017 saw heavy frosts and a loss of close to 90% of fruit, needless to say he kept all the fruit for MicroBio.

This is Verdejo unlike anything else produced. Ultimately It comes down to this: Pre phylloxera, un-grafted old vines between 100 to 260 years of age, deep sandy soils and an elevation of 800-900 meters above sea level. These are vines that have never seen chemical treatments. 

Also planted is a small amount of Tempranillo, Syrah and Merlot and he works with Rufete sourced from a single vineyard in the hills surrounding Salamanca. In 2018 Ismael planted Savagnin, Ganevat rootstock gifted to him by Anne. 

Picking occurs across the whole harvest, some early to yield more acidity, some later when the grapes are incredibly ripe. When it comes to the pressing of fruit he uses either a basket press or pneumatic press depending on the desired result and level of oxidation he wants to get during the press. In the cellar Ismael uses a wide variety of vessels: amphora, demijohn, stainless steel, barrels and foudres. There is now between 12-15 different expression of Verdejo produced covering a broad spectrum, inclusive of skin contact, oxidative aging, wines under flor. 

His cellar is meticulous and Ismael is a little obsessive when it comes to producing clean and pristine wines. The quality of the fruit, natural acidity he achieves, and PH levels are most certainly the primary contributors to the stability of these wines. Only indigenous yeasts are used, there is no filtering or fining and no additions throughout the winemaking process.

All wines are sold as Vino de Espana as Isamel has no interest in working to DO Rueda specifications and manipulative winemaking techniques.