Isaac Cantalpiedra

Fighting against the current tide of winemakers, big and small, crafting ‘modern’ expressions of Rueda aimed at the international markets, is father and son duo, Isaac and Manuel Cantalapiedra. Artisanal winemakers at heart, they have a clear vision for the style of Verdejo they want to make and are tired of the homogenized, soul-less, mass market wines that have, to them, become the norm in Rueda. Opting to work under the broader Castilla y León umbrella, this allows them to produce authentic, terroir- driven Verdejo wines, unencumbered by the restrictions of the D.O. Harvesting later, organically and from single vineyard plots, the wines here demonstrate power and finesse, in equal measure. They work with fully ripe fruit, fermented with wild yeasts with little temperature control, and very little sulphur. With 20 hectares of vines spread over several plots in the municipality of La Seca, they have access to a broad range of complex soils from high elevation sites, ideally suited to producing the Verdejo grape. They are true mavericks in the region, crafting spectacular and soulful wines. They strive to be the ‘Torchbearers of Real Rueda’ and create wines as naturally as possible.