Last week we had a rare opportunity to sit down with the lineup from Esmeralda García: moving wines that remind us of the sheer potential to be found in Rueda's oldest vines (here, 200+ years old).

Her production is so microscopic, the wines rarely make it to the US and even more rarely to a retail shelf (in fact, you can count the distribution in NY on less than one hand). But, bottled parcel by parcel with a level of clarity that puts her work firmly on the level of world-class peers in the appellation (yes, Cantalapiedra!), these are saline, quenching (and btw, completely zero zero) expressions of Rueda.

We unpack her work with a limited offering of these very special wines below, including a discounted set for those looking to dig in really deep.

Rueda's Revolution:

Over the last decade we’ve seen Rueda’s most influential generation take shape, pushing old-vine Verdejo (including pie franco vines, some of the oldest surviving in Europe) past the pithy, aperitivo style that historically defined the DO and into conversations around the world’s great white wines. It’s taken serious farming of these old vines and clear vision in the cellar.

MicroBio showed us the power (and success) of a zero-zero approach; Cantalapiedra boldly makes wines that blend the silty, sand-like character of the region with Beaune-like ambitions. And Esmeralda García, our wildly talented new arrival below, takes a different tack entirely: rather than letting Verdejo stretch its legs in wood, she vinifies and ages hers almost exclusively in clay amphora. It's an approach that adds new dimension to the incredible sea level rise in Rueda right now.

Her Work:

Esmeralda's roots are in Rueda's tiny village of Santiuste de San Juan Bautista; she grew up here, and named several of her family's parcels herself. After a long stretch working with winemakers around Spain, an eye-opening harvest in Ribera del Duero inspired her to return home and more zealously conserve the family vineyards.

These are special vines: completely untrained and rooted in Rueda's sandy soils, the youngest vines are 130 years old, and the oldest are 205.

Farmed organically, in total it's about 5 hectares across four parcels, all Verdejo and all within walking distance of the winery. There are some subtle differences in elevation and soil composition that make each parcel distinct; but we were still struck by how truly unique each cuvée felt from the rest.

Esmeralda and one of her dolia ferments; bicentenarian vines. Photos via MFW Wine Co and @verdejodesegovia

It's especially striking since the wines mostly all see the same process: directly pressed into 500L dolia (Spanish amphora), racked off and returned to the same vessels for a year of aging on the fine lees. There are absolutely no inputs; the wines are zero zero, seeing no sulfur from fermentation to bottling.

There are a couple (fascinating) exceptions to the élevage: her Las Miñañas is from a small parcel of exclusively 205 year old vines, which she separates to age in a single 500L chestnut barrel when the vintage calls for it.

And (in an homage to her family's original roots in Sevilla) for the last three vintages she has made two wines fermented in dolia but aged in old 125L sherry cask, under flor.

Despite being 100% Verdejo, there's a range of styles in the lineup – from stony, quenching bottles that remind of our favorite Loire Chenin; to reductive, high-wire expressions that underscore the gravitas of quality Rueda.

VILLAGE BLEND:

2023 Esmeralda García 'SantYuste' Vino De Pueblo, Castilla y Leon, Spain, $37
Her village wine, a blend of all four parcels (El Carrascal, La Fuentecilla, Vallejo, and Vayuste) fermented and aged in a mix of stainless steel and dolia (500L clay amphora). A fresh, saline, and herbal introduction.

SINGLE PARCELS:

2023 Esmeralda García Vayuste Vino de Paraje, Castilla y Leon, Spain, $52
130-200 year old vines from her 'Vayuste' parcel which sits at a slightly lower elevation than the rest of the property, with a more open-knit, creamy texture layered on stony minerality.

2023 Esmeralda García Vallejo Vino de Paraje, Castilla y Leon, Spain, $52
180-200 year old vines from her 'Vallejo' parcel, particularly saline with a touch of exotic fruit.

2023 Esmeralda García La Fuentecilla Vino de Paraje, Castilla y Leon, Spain, $52
180-200 year old vines from her 'La Funetecilla' parcel, particularly savory with vinous intensity but lighter texture.

2023 Esmeralda García Carrascal Vino de Paraje, Castilla y Leon, Spain, $52
180-200 year old vines in her 'El Carrascal' parcel, which has a slightly higher elevation and more exposure than the other parcels; the most reductive of the lineup, with a touch of aromatic spice.

2023 Esmeralda García 'Las Miñañas' Vino de Paraje, Castilla y Leon, Spain, $65
Not made every vintage, this is a selection of her oldest vines in the higher elevation 'El Carrascal' parcel, all 205 years old. The wine is still fermented in dolia, but racked into a single 500L chestnut barrel for aging. Extremely savory and saline, concentrated white fruit; and her most personal wine, named for her grandmother.

AGED UNDER FLOR:

2023 Esmeralda García Michika, Castilla y Leon, Spain, $60
A selection of vines from the 'Vayuste' parcel, fermented in dolia and racked to age in used 125L sherry cask under flor for one year. A beautiful sherry-adjacent wine with saline cut and lacy texture.

2023 Esmeralda García Michiko, Castilla y Leon, Spain, $60
A selection of vines from the 'El Carrascal' parcel, fermented in dolia and racked to age in used 125L sherry cask under flor for one year. A more structured take on her flor aging, reductive and herbal with a grippier texture than the rest of the lineup.

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