“Hipster” winemakers team up at Bodegas Tampesta

This is the year of the “hipster” winemakers.

My favorite hipster winemaker is Raul Perez, who I have written about in the past.

Raul is from Bierzo, located in northwest Spain. He is famous for his unusual winemaking methods. He submerges his wine bottles in a wire mesh cage under water at the local Aurosa Estuary. The cage is lowered 60 feet into the water and is submerged for a minimum of two months.

The result is a fresh, lively 100%-percent Albarino wine named “Sketch.”

The wine is made from 40-year-old vines that grow 400 feet from the Atlantic Ocean. The vines are harvested one to two weeks after similar grapes to help create the basis for Sketch. The lack of oxygen, the great amount of pressure at 60 feet below sea level and low temperatures create a wine like no other. Intense minerals, stone fruit and citrus yield to the wines strength and finesse.

Raul Perez has teamed up with Noelia de Paz, a neighbor from Tierra de Leon, to make wines together. Noelia is the “hipster” from the de Paz Tampesta family tree. Her brothers planted the vineyard, located in the Valdevimbre region of southern Leon, in 2000. Their sister, Noelia, is the chief winemaker for Bodegas Tampesta.

This is the region known for the “Cult” grape, Prieto Picudo. It is known for its densely packed grape clusters and its pine-nut shaped grapes (long and narrow).

The deep blue-black skin is as aromatic as any grape can be. The varietal is known for structure, intensity, concentration and aroma.

The winery at Bodegas Tampesta merges into the natural caves that have existed for centuries in the region. Modern technology, paired with the history of the vineyards at Las Lagunillas, an area known for the quality of the terroir, help create wines with the Prieto Picudo grape that are both unique and special.

Add winemakers Noelia de Paz and Raul Perez to the equation and the result has been amazing.
The wines from Bodegas Tampesta are handcrafted and are of limited production.

Tampesta Imelda 2010 is a wonderful example of a cult, hipster wine. Fifty cases were made by Noelia de Paz and Raul Perez.

Tampesta Imelda ($37) is made from 100-percent Prieto Picudo grapes. The vines are 70 years old. Clay soil dominates Valdevimbre. Cool temperatures at 2,400 feet and low rainfall help create this spicy, fruity, juicy, well-structured, 12-month oak-aged wine.

The aroma of this wine is a symphony of smells, combining lavender, leather, pumpkin and ginger.

Tampesta Finca de los Vientos 2009 ($17, 2,300 cases produced) is also made exclusively with 100% Prieto Picudo grapes. Noelia de Paz and Raul Perez naturally ferment and age the wine using stainless steel. Aromatics of cranberries and earthy figs dominate, while juicy, ripe dark fruit lingers on the palate. Good balance and structure.

Tampesta Rosado 2011 ($15) is an amazing rose made with 100-percent Prieto Picudo. The Rosado has won the hearts of numerous wine critics and was voted as one of the best 2011 roses in the marketplace. Thirteen-hundred cases were produced of this herbal, tropical, acidic well-balanced wine.

Noelia de Paz and Raul Perez produced this Rosado, which has the punch of a professional fighter with the balance of a ballet dancer.

Each bottle made with the Prieto Picudo grape from Bodegas Tampesta is a prize. It is time to get yours.

Posted by Phillip Kampe on January 10, 2013. Filed under Columns,Food,Opinion,Wine and Beyond. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry