Manuel Cantalapiedra - Arenisca Paraje Los Pilones 2020 750ml (14.5% ABV)

we may call young winemaker Manuel Cantalapiedra a rebel or even a freedom fighter but most importantly he is a farmer with a clear vision for the style of wine he wants to make in Castilla y León.

Manuel shares this passion with his father, who he named the winery after, and with his neighbors, but this is where the common interest ends and the rebellion begins. Harvesting later, organically and from single vineyard plots, his wines demonstrate power and finesse in equal measure. His heart and his vineyards lie in the centre of DO Rueda, yet his wines are miles ahead of the appellation.

"Arenisca" is sourced from a single vineyard (Paraje Los Pilones) in Villabuena del Puente, a small village 20km south from Toro, 750m elevation. It is a blend of pure tinta de Toro (aka Tempranillo) with a 5% splash of white varieties divided in three plots. The soils are mainly sandstone with a mix of clay and limestone at lower layers. The vines are bush trained, 10-25 years old, and the density is around 1100-1200 vines/ha. Yields are around 2700 kg/ha.

13,500 bottles produced

blackberry, plum, leather and earth. Well balanced, fleshy, persistent, elegant and lively on the palate, with a long finish.

region: Castilla y Leon, Spain

varietal: 95+% Tinta de Toro (local name for Tempranillo), ~5% white field blend: Verdejo, Palomino, Malvasia, Moscatel

vegan friendly

style: powerful red 

farming/cellar: certified organic, The grapes were picked by hand in 15kg cases. Once in the cellar, 80% is destemed and crushed and feremented in an inox tank at a temperature of 23ºC. The other 20% is fermented with the stems in open vats. After 25 days, the grapes are pressed and then racked to used French oak barrels of 225, 300 and 500 liters to go through malolactic fermentation. After that, the wine stays in the barrels for 11 months with no rackings and no addition of sulphur. Then, the wine is racked to an inox tank and bottled unfined and unfiltered.

pairing: any bbq / grilled meat