In 2008, Familia Martínez Bujanda from Rioja extended their group of wineries with the acquisition of a 25Ha estate in Rueda, the village after which this white wine appellation is named. A modern winery was built among the vineyards. In line with their single-vineyard philosophy, they only make wines with their own grapes.
With vines ranging from seven to 31 years old, the vineyard is located on a plateau at 750m above sea level. Verdejo is the sole grape grown here, and is planted in three different types of soils: gravelly on the high plateau, clay on slopes with a 10% grading (here is where the oldest vines are found) and silt and clay on steep slopes (up to 20%).
Only one wine, which is named after the property, is produced since the 2010 vintage. Finca Montepedroso (120,000 bottles) retails at around €7.5 in Spain. Grapes are harvested with machines and at night to maintain freshness. Winemaking practices include skin-maceration, fermentation with indigenous yeasts and five months of aging with the lees to gain complexity.
Interestingly, all visitors are invited to tour a second winery in the Familia Martínez Bujanda group. Apart from the standard tour which includes a tasting of three wines, visitors can enjoy a tasting of wines paired with cheese and a guided tasting of three older vintages (very few producers in Rueda dare to show bottle-aged Verdejo).
Commanded by siblings Carlos and Pilar Martínez Bujanda, this family group owns two wineries in Rioja, the single-vineyard Finca Valpiedra and Viña Bujanda, plus Finca Antigua in La Mancha and Cosecheros y Criadores, devoted to PGI (Vino de la Tierra) and table wines.
Familia Martínez Bujanda Group wines can be bought online in Spain.
