Richard Sanz is now very happily established at his spanking new winery, just outside Rueda - though after just one vintage this is already small - in the company of brother Marcos (the vineyards) and sister Alejandra, who, based in London, lends a PR presence wherever necessary. He continues to make around a million bottles of the popular Con Class wines, primarily from the trio's own vineyards, which are now officially organic even if none of them make too much of a fuss about this; though this year - unhappy with the correct but rather one dimensional 07 vintage - he produced much less Sauvignon than usual, preferring to concentrate on his beloved Verdejo, which, now hugely fashionable in Spain, is primarily what the vineyards consist of.
He has, at the same time, greatly simplified his winemaking opting for major 'lees swirling' prior to fermentation, rather than the extended macerations favoured by others, in the interests of producing wines that are as natural as possible and express the nature of the terroir. Indeed, already in January, Johnny Ray of The Telegraph put the 2007 Vendimia Excepcional in his Spanish top 10, commenting that 'with complex aromas of nettles, melons, honey and citrus, it makes a tinglingly refreshing aperitif'.
Meantime, however, at sister operation Bodegas Terna, housed some 15 minutes away in the quiet village of La Seca - with its ancient stone cellars, Richard makes a further range of rather more specialized, low production offerings. These include an imposing black cherry scented Prieto Picudo from León and minerally blueberry flavoured old vine Garnacha from high vineyards in Cebreros so steep that its harvesters are harnessed! We have dipped our toe in the water with an initial two of these quirkier offerings: a lean, elegant Verdejo V3: 'The 2006 V3 is 100% old-vine Verdejo with vines ranging from 80-110 years. Light goldcolored, it offers up an attractive, leesy nose accompanied by peach, apricot, and citrus.
Crisp and lively on the palate, it has an abundance of flavor and a lengthy finish. Drink it over the next 1-2 years.' and De 2 - a simple but very jolly, vigorous but easy-drinking Mencía (the variety's famous astringency at last tamed!) from El Bierzo. Production of the latter is around 35,000 bottles annually and we recommend it as the ideal barbecue wine. Finally, this year sees the re-introduction of Con Class Verdejo - whose bright green label heralds a gorgeously minerally mouthful replete with an abundance of greengage character.
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