Cantalapiedra Arenisca Tinto de Toro
Regular price $30.00
Winemaker: Manuel Cantalapiedra
Appellation: Rueda, Spain
Grape Varieties: 95-98% Tinto de Toro (Tempranillo) and 3% white grapes (Verdejo, Moscatel, Malvaisa, Palomino)
From an organically farmed southwest facing vineyard called ‘Los Pilones’ south of Toro at 750m. The vines are 10-25 years old and planted on sandy clay and calcareous sandstone.
The grapes were harvested by hand, almost fully destemmed (~10%left whole cluster) and begin fermentation in open-top vats with the skins for two weeks before pressing with a pneumatic press into used French oak barrels. Rested for 1 year before bottling without fining or filtering.
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.