Cantalapiedra Lirondo Clarete 2021

Cantalapiedra Lirondo Clarete 2021

Cantalapiedra Viticultores
$22.00

Grape: Verdejo, Tempranillo
Vintage: 2021
Type: Rosé

This traditional Clarete wine is crafted by the Cantalapiedra family as a co-fermentation of both white and red grape varieties. The blend incorporates organically farmed verdejo and tempranillo grapes, harvested by hand from sandy, pebble-strewn soils in Castilla y León. Spontaneous fermentation occurs with native vineyard yeasts in neutral tanks, treating the fruit with minimal cellar intervention. It rests on its fine fermentation lees for eight months before being bottled without fining or filtering agents.

It pours a translucent, dark rose color with copper reflections, opening with aromas of wild strawberry, pomegranate, and fresh mountain herbs. On the palate, the light-bodied frame is exceptionally juicy and fluid, offering an approachable mix of red currants and citrus pith. A clean, central thread of natural acidity cuts through the volume, maintaining excellent freshness. The texture is soft yet energetic, avoiding any heavy or sweet character.

Cantalapiedra Viticultores is located in La Seca, a village in the heart of Spain's Rueda appellation. The estate is run by father-and-son team Isaac and Manuel Cantalapiedra, with Manuel, a classically trained pianist, now leading the winemaking. They are a vanguard of minimal intervention winemaking in a region dominated by conventional producers. While Rueda is known for a consistent style of Verdejo, Cantalapiedra focuses on producing single-vineyard bottlings that highlight the unique differences in their terroirs. In the cellar, they use wild yeasts for fermentation and add minimal to no sulfur, relying on natural processes to express the character of their vineyards.