Majuelo del ‘Chiviritero‘ - Verdejo

Verdejo | single vineyard 'El Chiviritero' | 1,1 ha met stokken geplant in 1981 | stening terroir bij La Seca | 750 meter hoogste | late pluk | koude inweking met de schillen voor zes uur 'maceration pelicular | volledig vergist en gerijpt voor 9-10 maanden op Frans eikenhout, 2e fill | diepe zuren | intens rijpe smaken | complexe wijn | romig | abrikoos | zilt | wilde bloemen | fijne bitter | productie van 4000 flessen 

Isaac Cantalapiedra

De familie Cantalapiedra bezit ongeveer 20 hectare in het gebied la Seca, op 750 meter hoogte en ten hoogte van Madrid. Manuel maakt deel uit van de huidige generatie en heeft een duidelijke visie; rijpere stijl Verdejo van biologische druiven. Daarnaast hebben ze drie single vineyards genaamd: 'Chiviritero', 'Los Picones' en 'La Otea' en sinds kort is hij ook begonnen met een project in Toro waar hij met de inheemse druif Tinto de Toro een hele fraaie rode wijn maakt. Inmiddels is de hele serie in ons assortiment en bijna niet meer weg te denken in de topgastronomie.

Review

The 2020 Majuelo del Chiviritero, which I tasted next to the 2019, comes from a very different vintage with lots of rain and a warm summer that created fungal diseased that made them lose 30% of the crop (mildew). The wine is slightly riper and mellower. The nose is expressive and clean; it's open and has energy and the profile of a low-sulfur wine that is very alive. But it feels a little lighter and less complete than the 2019, a little more advance perhaps. At the same time, it's easier to drink. 5,743 bottles and 30 magnums were filled in May 2022 after 11 months in barrel and eight months in stainless steel. 92/100 Luis Gutiérrez

The Cantalapiedra family is in the heart of Rueda, in the village of La Seca, but like many small producers, they sell their wines with the wider Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León appellation despite the fact that they are textbook whites from Rueda. They started bottling their own wine in 2014, as before they sold all their grapes. They now produce wines from a great part of their 21 hectares of vineyards, worked organically for over 15 years already, and they still sell the rest of the grapes to other wineries in the region, something that they stopped in 2022. They have bought some more vineyards of ancient ungrafted vines in Alcazarén, Hornillos de Eresma and Toro, where they also purchase some grapes. They produce 95,000 bottles per year.