THEFAMILY

Belondrade is a family winery with 14 team members. Though founder Didier Belondrade is active in leadership, son Jean oversees daily operations. Jean has been around the winery since he was a child, and wanted to continue in the family business. He studied the famous DUAD in Bordeaux and holds an MBA. Experiences in France, Chile and Germany added depth to his understandingofterroirandpassionforthewineworld.

Early on, Didier chose Winemaker Marta Baquerizo to be an accomplice in realizing his unorthodox vision of Verdejo. She studied enology in Bordeaux and interned at Pétrus. Marta was one of only three women winemakers in Rueda at the time, and since has mentored many young winemakers in her more than 20yearsatBelondrade.

In 2015, the Belondrade Arte y Vino Foundation was created as a way to highlight and promote all forms of artistic interpretation and make them accessible to society. Didier Belondrade believes that a discussion of interpretation is the bridge between the worlds of art and wine.

SUSTAINABLEVALUES

As a fierce advocate of sustainable practices from the start, Belondrade has maintained a commitment to the Castilian Meseta and local biodiversity. In 2007, the estate produced its first wine using indigenous yeasts and 100% spontaneous fermentation, and obtained organic certification in 2010. In 2016, Belondrade’s obsession with diversity and character led to the acquisition of two more plots of old vines–LaAlamedaandLaCruz.Theirlatest projects include experimenting with different cover crops to encourage soil regeneration.

Terroir

The soils on the plateau date from the Cenozoic (or Tertiary) Era, forming around 60 million years ago and are characterized by their low content of organicmatter.Theyareprimarilymadeofalayerofpebblesaround10to 60 centimeters (4 to 24 inches) thick, a layer of clay subsoil and a deep layer of limestone. In each of the 23 plots, there is a mix of pebbles, sand, clay and limestone, which in varying percentages lends each wine unique styleandpersonality.Plotsarealsodifferentiatedbytherelativeageofthe vines,theorientation,plantingdensityanddistinctpruning.

The climate is continental with little rainfall, characterized by long, cold winters and short, hot summers. Great thermal amplitude between day and night allows for phenolic maturity and high acidity, lending complexitytothefruit.