Tasting Notes
La Otea comes off ungrafted Verdejo vines that are more than 150 years old, saved from phylloxera by the deep sandy soils they're planted in. They sit at nearly 700 metres just a stone's throw from the Duero, farmed organically with a few biodynamic tricks and yielding next to nothing. The fruit is pressed straight to old French oak for a long, slow ferment, then left a couple of years to settle naturally before bottling unfined and unfiltered. A serious, characterful white off some properly old vines. - Pete L
Cantalapiedra is a family domaine based in La Seca, the historic heartland of Verdejo in Castilla y León. The family has grown grapes here for generations, but it was in 2014 that father and son Isaac and Manuel Cantalapiedra began bottling their own wines rather than selling their fruit to larger producers. Their vineyards are certified organic, dry-farmed and include some remarkable old parcels, with Verdejo very much at the centre of the project.
Manuel takes a minimal-intervention approach in the cellar, using spontaneous fermentation, very little sulphur and no unnecessary additions, while experimenting with techniques including skin contact and ageing under flor. The wines are a world away from the simple, aromatic style often associated with Rueda — textured, savoury and mineral, with a real focus on individual vineyard sites and the potential of old-vine Verdejo.
| Product Type | Wine White Other Varietals & Blends |
| Volume | 750ml |
| Country | Spain |
| Region | Castilla Y Leon |
| Sub Region | Rueda |
| Winemaking Practices | Minimal Intervention |
| Vineyard Practices | Organic/Biodynamic |