Even for Galicia, Betanzos, the northernmost traditional grape growing region of Spain, is cold and wet. That is where you will find Jose Luis Beade of Casa Beade (Adega Beade in Galician). Here he farms... Read More
Even for Galicia, Betanzos, the northernmost traditional grape growing region of Spain, is cold and wet. That is where you will find Jose Luis Beade of Casa Beade (Adega Beade in Galician). Here he farms 6 acres divided into 22 micro plots in an area that looks more like the Mosel with its steep green slopes and terraces than any part of Spain. This is truly heroic viticulture and maybe that’s why most of the vineyards have been abandoned. Though one of the oldest regions in Spain, the Betanzos D.O. was only founded in 2001 and in total only has 6 hectares under vine. The difficulties of making wine here are evident, but the potential for making transcendental wines even more so.
And that's exactly what Jose is doing. He learned to make wine from his Grandfather who planted the vineyard in 1985 and then founded the winery in 2001. Jose joined 10 years later. Since then they have been at the forefront of preserving the region’s quickly disappearing tradition and lesser known varieties. With Jose fully in control the winery is now fully organic and with his exceptional knowledge of the terian and the vines the winemaking has moved further and further towards the minimal approach.
Vineyard work here in the best of times is difficult and because of the wet climate there is intense mildew pressure making the move towards more respectful viticulture even more heroic. Jose's approach is to produce the healthiest most conterated grapes just at the edge of ripeness. The results are extremely limited, pure, and beautifully austere bottles of wine. They really did blow us away and we immediately committed to as much as we could. The reds are mineral forward with grippy tannins and beautifully crunchy and mineral inflected fruit. The whites are almost Mosel like with the schist soils giving them notes of wet rock and just a touch of petrol and laser like acidity.
