Arrayán was born from a dream, a place and the coming together of visions over a number of years.
In 1999, José María Entrecanales and María Marsans decided to plant vines in the centre of an extensive dehesa to the north of Toledo. The estate is called La Verdosa and it is a wild and rugged refuge for wildlife located very near to the Alberche River, between the plains of Méntrida and the unmistakeable outline of the Sierra de Gredos.
Over a few years – the length of time taken by the vines to bear fruit suitable for wine production – the project took shape and Arrayán, evocatively named after a species of tree, became a small but mighty example of a contemporary winery in Spain.
With the appointment of our winemaker Maite Sánchez in 2009, we commenced a period of even greater identification of the virtues of our surroundings. We added new horizons to our original landscape of Finca La Verdosa. The foothills of the mountains, the slopes of Cebreros, the mosaics of vines that we discovered in some of the villages with the longest winemaking traditions in the highlands between Toledo, Ávila and Madrid.
Today, Arrayán represents the sum of several different locations. Diversity, respect, vocation. The constant search for balance and purity, which we express in wines of clear and direct character, wines that express the identity of the landscapes of our vines.
Our history
The first written references to vineyards and wines in the Méntrida area date back to the 17th Century. The oldest vines that we currently cultivate were planted back in 1940s in the towns of Almorox and El Real de San Vicente. The Méntrida Designation of Origin was formally founded in 1976. The wines from our La Verdosa estate fall within its boundaries.
Arrayán was founded. José María Entrecanales and María Marsans contracted the viticultural expert Richard Smart to design the La Verdosa estate vineyards. The decision was taken at that time to opt for non-native species that were well adapted to the peneplain north of Toledo: Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.
The first vintage from the estate was released, under the Arrayán Premium label.
The arrival of Maite Sánchez to take on her role as Arrayán’s Technical Director marked the start of a new phase in which particular attention is paid to viticulture, and to the incorporation of native varieties such as Garnacha and Albillo Real.
We started to complement the grapes of the Arrayán vineyard with Garnacha from Cebreros (Ávila).
We incorporated Garnacha from Real de San Vicente (Toledo).
We embarked on an ambitious project of varietal head grafting across the estate. With the support of the Castilla-La Mancha Centre for Vine & Wine Research, we introduced grape varieties including the white Garnacha Blanca and Mizancho varieties, and the red Garnacha Peluda, Moravia, Bruñal and Graciano. Our search for native varieties led us to Albillo Real from Almorox (Toledo).
Arrayán gained organic viticultural certification for the wines from its own estate vineyards in La Verdosa.
The UPM (The Polytechnic University of Madrid) joined the study of these varieties and their adaptation, with a particular focus on climate change.
Our white wines from Cebreros gained a new exponent in Albillo Real.
The second generation joined Arrayán: Alejandro and Mariana Entrecanales Marsans.
Arrayán’s 25th Anniversary.