Heliodoro Cantalapiedra – whose name has got to be one of the top ten coolest names in history and means “Sun’s-Gift Stone-Singer” planted a vineyard in 1949 at the age of 15. He lived and farmed near the village of La Seca in the heart of what would become the Rueda appellation. Together with his son Isaac, he expanded his vineyard to 20 hectares, though neither one of them ever made their own wine, they sold it to the same large houses everyone else sold to. Only when grandson Manuel took over the work did the family start making wine and seeking certification for organic farming, but long before their first vintage in 2014 the family had a reputation for high quality grapes, and the undiluted expression of old-vine Verdejo was an immediate revelation. Today, Cantalapiedra makes some of the most interesting Verdejo in the world because they are among a handful of growers who treat the vines as though they are capable of making fine wine.

This isn’t so much a classic Verdejo as it is a template for what the grape is capable of in the right hands. The nose is  nutty, with marzipan, almond, pineapple, lemon cake, and salted pears. The palate is rich, thanks to eight months resting “on the lees” in small tanks. It is also focused, with intense lemon, pineapple, and orange notes before a zesty finish. Head spinning complexity and character in here.