2024 Cantalapiedra Lirondo

This may well be the only soulful Rueda we have met. These days the region is controlled by big biz, industrial, carbon copies farming with poison and adding gosh knows what to their Coca Cola version of the Verdejo grape. This is a medium bodied intensely aromatic and textural wine. 

The Cantalapiedras descend from several generations of winegrowers working in the municipality of La Seca, the heart of the Rueda appellation. Although there are records of the Cantalapiedras’ grape-growing dating to the 19th century, the birth of the current estate can be traced directly to the year 1949, when patriarch Heliodoro planted his first vineyard plot, or majuelo, at the tender age of 15. Since 2014, Manuel (Heliodoro’s grandson) has been the driving force behind Cantalapiedra Viticultores, taking charge of first the winemaking and now the farming of their vines. As a farmer, Manuel strives to go beyond organics, and incorporates many biodynamic practices into their viticulture. In the cellar, he utilizes wild yeasts for fermentation, minimal amounts of sulfur, and no other additions, all of which distinguish him from the predominantly conventional practices of most wineries in Rueda.