Several generations of the Cantalapiedra family have farmed vines in the Rueda area, but the foundations of this project were laid by Heliodoro, when he planted his own vineyard at the age of 15 in 1949. His son Isaac continued his father's work as a grape grower until 2014, when, together with his son Manuel, they created their own winery to sell wines made mainly from the Verdejo variety.
At present, Isaac and Manuel work with seven of the 20 hectares they own in the village of La Seca (Valladolid), but they are confident that they will expand their own production to all of their vineyards. Until then, the rest of the grapes are sold to wineries in the area. The soils of these plots, planted at and elevation of about 750 metres, vary from sandy-loam to clay-loam, with a lower layer of limestone covered by the region's characteristic pebbles.
They work organically and have also incorporated biodynamic practices in their vineyard and winery tasks, where they use plants such as nettles and horsetail, indigenous yeasts and small amounts of sulphur. These practices, and their desire to express the aromas and taste of the vineyard, with little intervention, have led them to make their wines under the umbrella of Vino de la Tierra de Castilla instead of being under the Rueda appellation of origin.
Their main wine and the first one they launched in 2014 is Cantayano, which is the union of Manuel's two surnames (Cantalpiedra Moyano). It is a 100% Verdejo from about 25-year-old vines in three plots called Las Comas, El Chivitero and Los Picones in La Seca. 90% of Cantayano (25,000 bottles, €9.50) ferments in stainless steel but 10% in used barrels where it is kept with its lees for eight months before bottling without filtering.
Majuelo del Chiviritero (formerly Chivitero, until a large bodega of similar name claimed the brand, (7.300 botellas, €17,50) is a 100% Verdejo from a vineyard of the same name with two hectares and planted in 1981. It is harvested by hand -something unusual in Rueda where the use of machines is widespread. After maceration and pressing, the must ferments for 45 days with its own yeasts and aged with its lees, without batonnage, in used French oak barrels. It is a serious wine, seeking extra depth and seriousness.
Majuelo Los Picones (3,000 bottles, €20) is a single-vineyard Verdejo, born in the 2016 harvest. One part (20%) is fermented with skins and the remaining 80% in 500-litre barrels before being aged on its lees for 11 months in French oak barrels and 11 months in stainless steel for refining.
By spring 2020 they hope to launch a wine from a vineyard planted 150 years ago on sandy soils. Called La Otea, it belongs to a grower in La Seca who farms it organically. The first vintage will be 2017 with 2018 and 2019 already in the winery.
Manuel, who likes to experiment with natural wines, recently launched Mondo y Lirondo, two Verdejos outside the main brand he shares with his father because they are somewhat radical (sulphur is not added and they are not filtered or clarified). Both carry a label designed by him to save costs. Mondo (1,200 bottles, €11) comes from a plot that Isaac planted with his father Heliodoro. Manuel harvests the grapes by hand and ferments them with their skins in open containers without temperature control for approximately 30 days. This must with its lees is then transferred to used 600-litre barrels for 11 months. Manuel describes Lirondo (9,000 bottles, €11) as a "Verdejo en rama" which comes from the vineyard Las Escuclillas. It is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks with its lees for eight months.
In addition to the natural whites, Manuel Cantalapiedra produces a red called Arenisca (10,000 bottles, €14). It is 100% Tinta de Toro from a vineyard called Paraje Los Panaderos with sandstone and clay soils at an altitude of 780 metres in Venialbo, a village in the province of Zamora. As he vinifies it in the cellar in La Seca, Arenisca is outside the DO Toro and is sold as Vino de España.
