Bodegas Angel Rodriguez Martinsancho Verdejo 75cl

Description

A pale yellow in colour with green flecks. On the nose, scents of pear, stone-fruit and honey. On the palate, stone and orchard fruit with some citrus and notes of tropical fruit. The finish is mineral with salty hints. A very approachable and food-friendly wine. Try with grilled swordfish and a green herb salsa, steamed fillet of sea bass on a bed of fennel with tarragon sauce or spiced clams with chilli, ginger, turmeric and lots of crusty bread!

Angel Rodriguez and the emergence of Rueda as the most prestigious still white wine-producing region of Spain are synonymous. Angel’s story is the story of a unique grape called Verdejo. Although Verdejo is one of only a handful of truly noble Spanish white grape varietals, Verdejo was in serious danger of extinction by the early 1970s due to the pervasive planting of more prolific native varietals such as Viura and Palomino and the introduction of international favorites such as Chardonnay. Through his loving refusal to uproot his ancient 17th century vineyard called Martinsancho, Angel Rodriguez saved the shy-bearing, thick-skinned Verdejo from extinction

The original majuelo or 17th century vineyard of Martinsancho is less than two acres of gnarled, ungrafted vines, preserved in isolation as a museum of pre-phylloxera viticulture and a continuing source of undisputed varietal authenticity. Once considered an anachronism and an economic liability, nurseries throughout Europe now treasure the Martinsancho vineyard and its beloved Verdejo for the vine cuttings it provides and the legacy it has preserved. Yet, forty years ago no one seemed to care about this old vineyard with extremely low yielding vines; in fact, few had even heard of Martinsancho’s existence. Besides, Verdejo was not deemed profitable enough then by most experts to preserve, let alone grow, despite the vine’s noble pedigree and the undisputed quality of the wine it produced. Yet, in spite of the prevailing pressure and “expert advice” to uproot the old vineyard, Angel Rodriguez preserved it, and then undertook the near impossible and what many have called sheer lunacy: he re-grafted a vineyard by hand onto 25 acres of premier land, using Verdejo cuttings from the Martinsancho vineyard.

Subsequently, other Rueda growers have planted Verdejo with the help of Angel Rodriguez, to the point that today this shy-bearing vine is once again the leading white grape varietal in Rueda and one of Spain’s most important grape varieties.