Finca Valpiedra winery is owned by the Familia Martínez-Bujanda. More than a century has passed since the family’s patriarch, Joaquín Martínez-Bujanda, began making wine in 1889; now his great-grandchildren, Carlos and Pilar, are carrying on the tradition. They realized their dream of fully expressing wine from a single vineyard by opening Finca Valpiedra in 1999.
As a testament to the quality of Finca Valpiedra’s wine, the estate has been inducted into the exclusive organization Grandes Pagos de España. The group’s mission is to defend and propagate the culture of “Pago” wine, meaning wine produced in a specific terroir that reflects the distinct personality of the soil and climate. To become a member, a vineyard must surpass strict quality standards and also exhibit a degree of uniqueness in terms of soil, climate or grape variety that sets it apart from the surrounding area. The association’s membership includes 25 estate wineries throughout Spain.
Located at an altitude of approximately 1400 feet above sea level, the climate is Atlantic-Mediterranean with hot summer days and cool nights, ideal for full grape ripening while maintaining freshness. The vineyard is protected from the cold northern winds by the surrounding Sierra de Cantabria Mountains. Its unique microclimate provides an optimal amount of sunshine and rain (nearly 16 to 19 inches per year).
The primary variety grown in Finca Valpiedra is Tempranillo, with some land dedicated to Mazuelo, Graciano and Cabernet Sauvignon. The average vine age is 35 years, and all grapes are hand-harvested and sorted.
Although the 21st century has heralded modernization and automation in winemaking, the mission of the Familia Martínez Bujanda has always remained true to the original intent of Joaquín Martínez Bujanda from over a century ago – control of the vineyard is essential to making wine. Each generation has sought to best utilize each location, taking into account the altitude, microclimate, soil, and the characteristic unique to each terroir, to create wines that capture its essence. The vineyards are nourished with organic matter and employ modern and traditional winemaking techniques to produce the best-quality wine possible from each parcel. The goal at Finca Valpiedra is to produce innovative wine that will flourish into the next century, while adhering to time-honored traditions. The results are wines of elegance, style and sophistication.
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It is hard to imagine with the Lithology range receiving 298 points out of 300 for the three single-vineyard wines, that there could possibly be a wine above them. But there is, and it is our Estate wine. Blended several times very intently by masters of their craft Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland, this is the ultimate expression of our house’s work. Positive, full-bodied, and quite powerful, there’s the expected crème de cassis and blackberry from St. Helena Cabernets, with mineral, herb, subtle tobacco and vanilla, plum skins, and pie crust, purple flowers, forest-conifer notes, and very fine tannic structure. It is a magnificent, and magnificently elegant expression of this house, and when asked recently, Monsieur Rolland stated plainly to me, “oh yes indeed – this is the best one, the best yet…”
Review:
Pure perfection in Cabernet, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Alejandro Bulgheroni is all varietal and comes two-thirds from Oakville with the balance from sites in St. Helena and Rutherford. Aged 20 months in 70% new French oak and put together by Philippe Melka and Michel Rolland, it has an incredibly pure, full-bodied, massive yet weightless style that I suspect couldn’t be achieved anywhere outside of Napa Valley. Cassis, blackberries, leafy herbs, lead pencil shavings, and tobacco leaf are just some of the nuances here, and it’s full-bodied, deep, and concentrated on the palate while maintaining an ethereal, seamless, utterly perfect balance between its fruit, alcohol, tannins, and acidity. As good as it gets, it needs just 2-4 years in the cellar and will evolve gracefully for at least 20-25 years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 100 Points
Lismore Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc is made from 100 percent Sauvignon Blanc.
As with all Lismore wines, balance is the key. The bracing acidity that is customary in new world Sauvignons has been brought into balance with a carefully chosen pick date and the barrel and egg fermentation and maturation. A full bodied, balanced wine was the goal.
Barrel fermentation and extended lees contact contribute to this full bodied, elegant and well balanced wine. Floral notes of passion flower and fynbos, granadilla, guava, gooseberry and pear on the palate along with an underlying minerality which gives this unique terroir driven wine its signature.
Wine Made in the Soil
The grapes come from 50% Lismore’s Greyton vineyards which are planted on East/Southeast facing slopes at 320 meters in the foothills of the Sonderend Mountain Range. The soils are deep decomposed shale. The other 50% comes from a vineyard in Stanford which overlooks Walker Bay on sandstone soils.