2016 Bodegas Angel Rodriguez Verdejo Rueda Martínsancho

Full Pull

• By Paul Zitarelli
  Full Pull Verdejo, 4/15/2019

  (Angel Rodriguez Verdejo Rueda Martinsancho) Hello friends. Whether the weather wants to cooperate or not, spring is in full swing in the world of wine. Starting March 20—the first day of spring—we’ve seen a steady influx of white wines at our regular weekly tastings. And with the winter we had here in Seattle, it’s been a welcome reprieve. Recently, we tasted a wine that we haven’t seen since the 2011 vintage, which we offered in 2012. To me, this wine represents what Full Pull is about to a T. It’s a lesser-known winery to many of our list members, with an unbelievable story—and the wine itself is fantastic. When we offered this wine in 2012, the TPU tag was $17.99. This time, we committed to a sizable amount to get it down to today’s tariff. The story of Martinsancho is deeply entwined with the perception of Spanish wine itself. During the Franco era of Spain, Franco himself viewed wine as simply sacramental, and wanted to turn wine production into a profit maximizing system for the country. He ripped up low-yielding vines throughout the country and ordered the planting of cash crops. At this time, Spain’s export market plummeted, effectively displacing Spain from the international wine community. This is why generations of Americans never drank Spanish wines; this is one reason why Spanish wines are still so inexpensive. Spain is still regrowing an industry that a dictator tried to demolish. Verdejo, the classic grape of Rueda, was one such vine destined for removal. It was almost entirely snuffed out of existence; all plots of Verdejo gone except for one small planting in a 200+ year old vineyard. Angel Rodriguez saved Verdejo, keeping one plot planted in the heart of his Martinsancho estate, hiding it in plain site behind a perimeter of higher-yielding Viura (for cava) and Palomino (for sherry). That is how Verdejo prevailed—and after Franco’s death, cuttings from Martinsancho were used to populate Verdejo across Rueda, including the 1976-grafted plantings that are the source of this wine. (As a side note, the original majuelo [plot] of Martínsancho is still preserved. The gnarled vines there are over 200 years old, practically a vineyard museum of prephylloxera and the oldest Verdejo on earth.) Rueda is home to some of the highest altitude vineyards in Europe, ranging on average 600-700 meters above sea level. Martinsancho itself is full of 35-year-old bush vines rooted in deep gravelly soil that naturally yield about 1 ton/acre. (Here is a picture of Angel with his beloved vines.) The vineyard is 100% organic and non-irrigated. The wine is made in a subterranean bodega, which is unusual for the rest of Spain, but traditional to Rueda. The grapes are pressed into two large glass tanks for fermentation, and then transferred by gravity to age on the lees in century-old 5,000-liter oak. This wine is thrilling. The aromatics are intensely layered with Granny Smith apples, nectarines, herbaceous florals, a spritz of citrus rind, and gravel. The palate is dry; leesy and plush yet racy with its 13% listed alcohol. Though the mouth opens with fruit, it’s the touches of fennel, bitters, saline tang, and the lemon verbena that give this wine its uniqueness. It only takes one sip to understand why a man would risk everything to keep this thick-skinned, finicky grape alive. Guía Peñín: "Light yellow. Pungent, mineral-accented aromas of lemon pith and green apple, with subtle herbal and floral qualities adding complexity. Fleshy and smooth on entry, then tighter in the middle, offering refreshingly bitter lemon zest and quince flavors and a touch of anise. Closes on a minerally note, with very good clarity and length. 92pts" [Note for context: this review was translated from its original spanish text. Guía Peñín is Spain’s most well-known and comprehensive wine guide. Its scoring is on a similar 100pt scale, with 90-94 marked as excellent. You can read more about it here.)