Cantalapiedra Viticultores, Lirondo Clarete 2021

Variety: Verdejo and Tempranillo (Tinto de Toro)

In the region of Castilla y Leon of western Spain is Rueda. The grapes Verdejo and Tinto de Toro thrive here. In Rueda, there was a transition of conventional winemaking and then a slow progression (by a few) to make more expressive wines with lower intervention. The Cantalapiedras family dates back to the 19th century in the Rueda, with each generation bringing something new. There was a transition of conventional farming and selling fruit to finally bottling their own wines in 2014. There was another transition of making organic and biodynamic farming a priority. Manuel is the lead of the current generation, making wines both single vineyard and entry level.

This is a traditional style "Clarete" wine you'll find in central Spain, a blending of both white and red juice that often makes a something akin to a chillable red, dark rose, or light red. The style is nothing new either. The juice is vinified together, then spends 8 months on the lees before bottling. Drink chilled!