Your cart is empty!
Cantalapiedra's Verdejo 💫
08/06/24
The savviest wine buyers know: CANTALAPIEDRA VITICULTORES sits firmly among Spain’s most authentic (and most talented) natural producers – with stirring, high-touch presentations of Rueda Verdejo . . .
The Cantalapiedra family has been at it for centuries; with several generations of growers in La Seca, home to Rueda DO’s small set of top, quality, producers. But, it was in 1949 that things evolved, with the first estate vineyard planted by 15 year old Heliodoro Cantalapiedra. Eventually with his son Isaac they grew their family vineyard holdings to 20 hectares; and after 65 years – with grandson (and classically trained pianist!) Manuel grown into the lead role – they started bottling their first estate wines in 2014.
The hook: with decades of careful farming, the estate had a massive head start in terms of quality.
Manu in the vineyard; all photos via José Pastor SelectionsOld vines with deep roots, allowing for robustly developed fruit harvested later in the season than most. And, unlike other producers in Rueda, Manu and his family were unencumbered by decades of producing clunky international styles; launching straight into the production of authentic, terroir-driven Verdejo.
One of less than a handful of producers in the area achieving this level of quality and authenticity.
Rueda’s famous grape has a reputation for zippy, polite refreshers; and often, it’s been a victim of modern industrial farming and winemaking, internationally styled (and often blended with Sauvignon Blanc).
But, in the key of Muscadet, there’s a small set of producers making serious, terroir-driven renditions of the grape and region, prized among the natural wine community. We see it in Manu’s work; and in a past Leon Circle fave, the very tiny producer MicroBio.
Set against Rueda’s limestone and sand soils, Verdejo is serious, structured, infused with acidity. The aromatics read like an elevated Barcelona snack: savory dried herbs and almonds, salty fruit.
Manu and his peers are making wine ironically so authentic, they are ineligible for the Rueda DO and instead labeled as the larger Castilla y León region.
The entire estate is certified organic, farmed with no irrigation. Winemaking is with native yeasts, minimal sulfur, and importantly, no additives (like Rueda’s all-too-common practice of acidification).
You might be familiar with ‘Lirondo’ – the entry-level cuvée we’ve mentioned…many times ;) It’s a favorite on the shelf for a reason: it speaks far beyond its price point, a fresh and complex (and bizarrely affordable) window into Manuel’s artistry and the potential for Rueda Verdejo at large. And then there are the single-plot, old vine bottlings – which have become “IYKYK” gems among the NYC wine community.
The style feels generous and complex, marked by acidity but not defined by it; with distinctly-Rueda limestone minerality, contemplative soft fruit, and smoky, salty nuance.
Manuel is solidly making some of Rueda’s most authentic wine: not just a peek into Verdejo’s potential, but a full achievement of it.
2023 'LIRONDO' VERDEJO, CASTILLA Y LEON $23
The aforementioned entry-level stunner, from Cantalapiedra's 'Las Escuclillas' vineyard. Destemmed and macerated for half a day then gently pressed; textured without giving intense skin contact vibes. Ultra fresh, saline, smoky, with sneaky complexity that nods to Rueda's terroir.
The aforementioned entry-level stunner, from Cantalapiedra's 'Las Escuclillas' vineyard. Destemmed and macerated for half a day then gently pressed; textured without giving intense skin contact vibes. Ultra fresh, saline, smoky, with sneaky complexity that nods to Rueda's terroir.
2022 'CANTAYANO' VINO DE LA TIERRA DE CASTILLA Y LEON $30
From three plots of 20-30 year old vines, 'Las Comas,' 'El Chivitero' and 'Los Picones', where the soil is pebbly sand over marl and limestone. Destemmed and pressed into 80/20 stainless steel and used French oak; aged on the lees for a year prior to bottling. Like 'Lirondo' but taken up a notch, with honey and ripe lemon aromatics lacing an extended finish.
From three plots of 20-30 year old vines, 'Las Comas,' 'El Chivitero' and 'Los Picones', where the soil is pebbly sand over marl and limestone. Destemmed and pressed into 80/20 stainless steel and used French oak; aged on the lees for a year prior to bottling. Like 'Lirondo' but taken up a notch, with honey and ripe lemon aromatics lacing an extended finish.
2022 'MAJUELO DEL CHIVIRITERO', CASTILLA Y LEON $42
From the 60 year old, one hectare parcel 'El Chiviritero' mentioned above. Destemmed and macerated for a full day before pressing into used French oak, aged on the lees for 9 months and lightly filtered before bottling. Pure, structured Verdejo.
From the 60 year old, one hectare parcel 'El Chiviritero' mentioned above. Destemmed and macerated for a full day before pressing into used French oak, aged on the lees for 9 months and lightly filtered before bottling. Pure, structured Verdejo.
Unfortunately sold out immediately but worth a mention: MAJUELO LA OTEA. From the estate's oldest (150 year old, ungrafted!) Verdejo vines in Villanueva de Duero; aged for almost two years, it's a stirring bottle you should not pass on if seen in the wild.