Esteban Figuerola
In 2010, Esteban decided to make his own wines. The native vines of Cencibel (Tempranillo) had spent decades enduring extreme temperatures, dry summers and harsh winters. That roughness, instead of being an obstacle, became the character of the wine.
The wines are made with the time each one needs: Veruso goes into stainless steel on lees. It goes to market when Esteban considers it ready.
Mancha Alta, Castilla-La Mancha
The plot is located in the north-east of the province of Ciudad Real, in the area of the Mancha Alta. Mediterranean-continental climate: extreme temperatures that stress the vines and concentrate the fruit. Deep, well-drained soils. In a demanding environment that produces low-yielding grapes of great expressiveness.
Vineyard and winery
- Viticulture: Sustainable, without synthetic herbicides or pesticides
- Vines: Trellised, average age 30 years
- Veruso: Direct pressing, spontaneous fermentation, stainless steel 4 months on lees, minimal sulphur
- No later physical treatments: possible natural precipitates in the bottle
The Mancha Alta
The Mancha Alta is the easternmost wine-growing zone of the great La Mancha plain, located north-east of the province of Ciudad Real. Unlike central La Mancha, here the altitude —between 700 and 800 m— slightly softens thermal extremes and brings cool nights that preserve the grape's natural acidity. The climate is Mediterranean-continental: dry, hot summers, cold winters, and a daily thermal range that deeply marks the aromatic profile of the wines.
The soils are deep, clayey and calcareous, with good moisture retention to withstand summer drought. This combination of water stress, heat and altitude produces grapes of low yields and great concentration, with a ripeness that, in the hands of growers like Esteban, translates into honest, long-lived wines.
Two wines, one character
- Veruso Tempranillo 2023 — Fresh, direct red wine. 100% Cencibel, stainless steel, no DO. Red fruit, mineral, easy drinking. €11.95
The collection at Terroir Radical
Intense purple colour with violet tones. Fresh, aromatic nose: red fruit, wildflowers, cherries, redcurrants, herbal notes and pepper and liquorice spices. Light, very pleasant palate with refreshing acidity and a long finish. Direct press, malolactic fermentation, ageing on lees in stainless steel for 4 months. Minimal sulphur. Serve at 10–14 °C.
Intense purple colour with violet hues. Fresh nose of red fruit —cherries, redcurrants—, wildflowers, herbal notes and spices (pepper, liquorice). Light, very pleasant palate, refreshing acidity and long finish. Ageing on lees in stainless steel adds texture without losing freshness. A Tempranillo (Cencibel) from the Mancha Alta that surprises with its lightness and elegance. Limited edition: 1,538 bottles.
Editorial note
My own wines at Terroir Radical are not a concession to vanity. They are here because they meet exactly the same criteria that govern the whole selection: minimal intervention, respect for the territory, varieties that explain where they come from. If they did not meet them, they would not be here. The fact that they are mine does not exempt them from anything —on the contrary, it demands more of them.
— Terroir Radical