Located in Serrada and owned by the Gutiérrez family, De Alberto is one of the historic names of Rueda. The current 26 shareholders, representing the fourth and fifth generations, are descendants of the founder, Alberto Gutiérrez.
The winery oversees more than 700 hectares of vineyards. Seventy per cent of this land is owned directly by family members rather than by the winery itself. This structure dates back to a time when agricultural insurance did not exist.
The company was founded in 1941, when Alberto Gutiérrez acquired the former Dominican convent cellars in Serrada. The monks had settled in the village in the second half of the 17th century to supply the monastery of San Pablo in Valladolid. They continued to do so until Mendizábal's disentailment forced religious properties into private hands.
The Gutiérrez family's business proved highly successful; by the mid-1960s they were producing over 3.5 million litres of wine.
Traditional wines
The wines made at that time were high-alcohol whites aged in casks and barrels. Most were sold in bulk and were similar in style and labelling to Sherry and other Andalusian wines. In response to growing demand, the second generation introduced glass demijohns in the late 1960s to accelerate oxidation before transferring the wines to casks. This enabled them to achieve the desired 'aged effect' in a much shorter time.
These wines, which have almost disappeared from the region and are now produced in very limited quantities, remain the jewel in the crown. They are crafted from old soleras preserved in the former Dominican cellar when Alberto Gutiérrez purchased the property.
The most characteristic wine in the range is the complex Dorado (6,000 half bottles, €36, 17.5% abv). It is made using the family’s traditional method of ageing fortified wines in partially filled glass demijohns at 17.5% abv. This is followed by two stages of oak ageing: a pre-solera and the final solera stage. Only 10% of the cask’s contents are drawn off for bottling. There is also a sweet version (1,400 half bottles, €36), fortified to 16.5% abv, which undergoes a shorter period of ageing in demijohns, followed by a minimum of two years in casks. The Pálido (1,200 half bottles, €42, 15% abv) is aged in oak casks under a veil of yeast (flor) for at least three years.
The latest release is a limited-edition single cask wine that has not been refilled since 1999. Named VORR (Very Old Rare Rueda), fewer than 1,000 half-litre bottles are available, priced at €125 each. With an alcohol content of 21% abv, its level of concentration recalls old sherry, though it is less structured and offers fresher, higher acidity. De Alberto distils its own pomace to obtain the alcohol required for fortification.
Modern wines
The winery processes more than five million kilos of grapes each year. Most are used for dry whites, including exclusive brands produced for distribution, as well as red and rosé wines sold under the VT Castilla y León designation. Equipment at the winery was expanded to allow white and red wines to be produced simultaneously.
Monasterio de Palazuelos is the brand with the widest distribution within DO Rueda. The range includes three varietal whites made from Viura, Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc grapes.
Around 300,000 bottles of premium wines are sold under the De Alberto brand. This range starts with a Verdejo aged on its lees, an organic Verdejo and a Sauvignon Blanc (all around €8 in Spain), followed by a barrel-fermented Verdejo (€16) and the Edición Especial, the top wine in the range (around 4,000 bottles, €20) which carries the Gran Vino de Rueda certification. It is made from old vines planted in the 1950s in the villages of La Seca, Nava del Rey and Medina del Campo, and aged in various vessels, including casks, barrels and concrete tanks.
Winery tours include visits to the underground cellars and the demijohn storage area.