Cachazo "Carrasvinas" Verdejo 2022

When you go out to eat in any Spanish restaurant in Spain, I guarantee you that two wines will be on the list – Rioja, and this one, Felix Lorenzo’s Cachazo Carrasvinas Rueda Verdejo. It’s true!

But you sense a fallacy. Rioja is a religion, whilst the other, with that long Spanish name, sounds like (’cause it is) a single wine. But my story is still true.

Every restaurant in Spain, no matter its locale, will always stock a really good, deep selection of Rioja, plus local wineries. It’s kinda funny, but that’s how it is. And they are kinda insistent on the fact that Rioja is good, and local is better, and anything not local (or Rioja) is crap. Except for this Verdejo. Why?

Because of its amazingly chuggable, crushable deliciousness: spellbinding aromas of pineapple, grapefruit, white peach and kaffir lime leaf come bursting from the glass. When they first taste this wine, many people will immediately think that it’s a really good Sauvignon Blanc. But as much as Verdejo deserves its own category, this wine is a category-buster. The midpalate is vivid and crisp, continuing with flavors of honeydew melon, fennel, and white flowers. If you want to look for it, there is a real depth of character here. But I didn’t bother, I simply chugged it down – it was hot, I was thirsty, and this was delightfully thirst-quenching.

Another reason it’s so popular in Spain: respect. Respect for the man and his family that makes it, as well as respect for its compadre price. Story time:

Felix Lorenzo is a third-generation generation winemaker, born at his family-owned winery Cachazo (founded in 1946). Back in the day, the winery produced “Amontillado-style wines.” Remember “The Cask of Amontillado?” It’s that wine. Haven’t drunk one of those in a while (nor read Edgar Allen Poe recently)? You’re not alone. While Sherry-styled wines can be great, hardly anyone—anywhere—drinks them. Felix saw this trend coming in the late 1970s and not only led his family winery to change, but the entire region as well.

His new approach included winemaking techniques of preserving freshness of fruit, modern equipment to bottle and maintain the lively, crisp, gleaming distinctiveness of Verdejo, traditional techniques in the vineyard preserving their ancient heritage of now some 100-year-old vines. 

You’ve heard this kind of of story before, because it’s one that we at Waterford seek out continually.  It’s a recipe for great wine, and this bottle proves it. In the early 1980s what Felix was doing and proposing created a sensation. However, thoughtful winemaking and careful persuasion led him to success, bringing seven other local wineries with him and founding the DO of Rueda. In a sense – although he would never claim this himself – it’s justified to say that Felix Lorenzo is the father of modern Rueda.

That may not mean much to you, but to Spaniards it means that this guy took a region that was fading away into the scrolls of time and turned it into one of Spain’s greatest wines. And not only that, but he and his family toe the line on pricing. Tasting at their winery, my note was “rather obnoxiously underpriced.”

 You’ve heard of inflation and logistical problems? Well, here is a winery where those aren’t a consideration. The quality speaks for itself in the glass. Now that’s respect we can all enjoy. Salud!

Critical acclaim:

"93 points. Medium yellow in the glass, this wine offers pineapple, passion fruit and jasmine aromas. Its gorgeous texture fills the mouth with vivid white peach, apricot preserve, orange blossom and river rock flavors with a soft hint of iodine on the post-palate. " - Wine Enthusiast