We’ve nipped in here with a producer who is starting to make waves in the world of modern Spanish winemaking. A focus on traditional varieties is beginning to sound like a cliché, but there’s a damn good reason for it.
Sometimes on our travels we taste wines made from near extinct varieties and frankly begin to understand why natural selection is a thing. However, the Albillo variety which Bodegas Arrayan are known for is the real deal. This is a genuinely interesting grape and can make wines with a proper ‘spark’. Style wise it’s akin to a rich Albarinio, perhaps an Albarino/Pinot Gris cross, delicious stuff.
Bodegas Arrayan’s winery is in the sleepy small town of Santa Cruz de Retamar, which is a gentle hour’s drive heading south-west from Madrid. The vineyards sit in Sierra de Gredos foothills and the undulating, arid region of Mentrida.
The wines are the overseen by Maite Sánchez who has been there over a decade. All the vineyards are farmed organically, and they use only natural yeasts in the cellar.