Bodegas Menade, the other side of Rueda.

They are young and they seem as if they are just starting out in the world of wine, yet they have been at it for a lifetime. The ability to adapt and to transform is a quality shared by the three Sanz siblings, Marco, Richard and Alejandra.  They apply their winemaking principles with dedication and passion and this is reflected in each bottle of their wines, which have personality and style.

They work 200 hectares of vineyards, set in an exceptional location between Zamora and Tudela de Duero, according to organic growing principles, yet happily applying modern technology.  "With our weather station we know exactly what’s happening to the vines at all times, and if the vines are thirsty, we give them water," says Richard Sanz, Menade ‘s oenologist and manager.

He believes one should look to the past in order to learn from those who went before, but move forward using technology, "we use tractors, but we also use natural infusions for all the treatments." They protect and care for the vegetation that grows around the vineyards so that the insects there create life.  And, as far as the terroir is concerned, according to Richard, "the soils have to be given life, they have to breathe, and this is only achieved by ploughing and aerating the soil, otherwise the soil compacts and the area desertifies".  They take constant care to prevent the fertile land from becoming unproductive.  In the vineyards, they stop, they examine the vines, and then act in a logical manner in order to prevent problems and to continue this logic in the winery.

The Sanz siblings have founded their business on intelligent risk-taking, a strategy that may not have always yielded the expected results, but which has, nevertheless, been gratifying and instructive.  Since t setting up their own winery in 2005, their way of working has radically evolved and they now allow themselves greater ​​freedom and creativity. They began to work with wild yeasts, they make wines through natural fermentation in stainless steel vats, "if technology has given us stainless steel vats, which are clean and enable temperature control, then why go back?", Richard says.

Menade is a challenge in every sense of the word.  The Sanz work in the way they want, they allow themselves to play around, to experiment, to fail, make mistakes, and then pick themselves back up again. The fact that they are champions of organic growing, and they practice it, is not incompatible with their winemaking practices. They are not against malolactic fermentation in white wines, and they are in favour of clarifying and filtering the wines to eliminate bacteria that may have remained in the liquid, to ensure the wine will travel. "We don’t have to use constrictive methods, but what we do have to do is to work cleanly so that the wine arrives in perfect condition".

Twelve years ago, when the three siblings, representing the sixth generation of the family, became independent of their father, they went through some difficult times.  They had dreamt of creating their own winery in order to "step outside the comfort zone in which the Rueda wine producers like to remain and where simplicity reigns," explains Richard.

Their Menade Verdejo organic wine is the only wine with the approval of the DO Rueda regulatory body.  The rest of the winery’s wines are produced under the “Vinos de la Tierra de Castilla y León” umbrella.  Their lack of identification with the practices being used in Rueda isolated them for a time, but they still hold the same views today. They refuse to work with aromatic yeasts, and they do not agree with the region’s pricing policy. According to Richard "There’s too much volume in Rueda, the region has undergone excessive growth and all the wineries in Spain have set up here in a short space of time. A lot of volume, but poor quality, little personality and a lack of identity". Richard continues, "there are wine regions which produce a lot of wine, but these are large regions, like Champagne or Burgundy, where personality is the most important thing. Being great is not about generating volume, greatness comes with personality."

AN OLD WINERY

The best way to explore this family’s history is to lose yourself in the old family winery, dating from 1820.  The cellars, carved out below ground, offer a magnificent natural setting, with several underground tunnels housing the barrels of white wine (and a few reds), the bottle cellar and the region’s first mechanical press.

The urban development in recent decades has spared some of these old wineries. Many of these impressive looking buildings, in which little has changed over the years, are closed up or abandoned. At Menade, however, they not only bring their winery to life, caring for it with the affection it deserves, but they show it off with tremendous pride.  With a natural temperature of 10ºC and high humidity, the old family winery is a real architectural gem. Its plain walls reveal the area’s subsoil, river sediments with pebbles, clay and limestone, from the old river bed.

THE TASTING

MENADE VERDEJO ORGANIC 2016 13% vol. - DO RUEDA

Bright yellow hue with pale golden tints.  Very aromatic on the nose with the recognizable aromas of the Verdejo varietal, such as citrus fruit, which gives it a lively character, along with notes of pear and vegetal overtones of hay and fennel.  There is a nice glycerol sensation on the palate and a lovely expression of the fruit. The wilder character of the Verdejo also comes through in the form of anise and wild herbs.  Fairly pronounced yet well-balanced acidity. The finish is long, reflecting the wine’s body, good structure and perfect balance.

NOSSO VERDEJO NATURAL 2016 13% vol. - VT CASTILLA Y LEON

Bright yellow hue with soft golden tints.  Surprising minerality on the nose, with subtle lactic notes.  Citrus fruit can be detected again, but it is the iodized character that really comes through. On the palate, the wine shows an earthy and mineral side, against a saline backdrop with surprising iodized notes, giving us a style more akin to the wines from the Galician Atlantic.  Nice, fresh, lively acidity. The finish reflects the wine’s deliciously drinkable character, as well as its lovely creaminess and elegant density.

LA MISION 2014 13.5% vol. - VT CASTILLA Y LEON

Yellow hue with golden tones.  Toasted, lactic and ripe white fruit notes come through on the nose. Despite its ageing in oak and jars (tinajas), it retains a fine, elegant profile with remarkable smoothness.  It shows surprising freshness on the palate, with the mineral and saline notes also found in other wines from this winery and derived from the limestone composition of the soil. Good acidity. Long, elegant, creamy finish with subtle smoky notes.

MENADE SAUVIGNON ORGANIC 2016 13% vol. - VT CASTILLA Y LEON

Yellow hue with golden tints. The nose is intense and aromatic, with a delicious array of wild aromas, including coriander and fresh grass, floral aromas such as elderberry, and fruity aromas of orange citrus. It shows perfect acidity on the palate and the aromatic range broadens, accentuating the wild notes and aromas that are fruitier than on the nose. It unleashes an array of passion fruit-like tropical aromas. Long, aromatic and well-balanced finish.

MENADE SAUVIGNON DULCE ORGANIC 2016 10% vol. - VT CASTILLA Y LEON

Yellow hue with golden tints. Very aromatic, exotic fruit, ripe pears and white flowers such as orchids and jasmine.  On the palate, the weight of the sweet, ripe fruit is balanced by the wine’s naturally fresh and lively acidity.  Long, succulent finish, leaving you eager for more.