This weeks "Inside Look" is at Bodegas Ruchel. Probably my favorite white varietal (in the world) right now is Godello... if you've followed along.. you would know I'm crazy about it!! And Ruchel takes the cake!!  Such amazing wines of Godello, and their reds made from Mencia are stunning as well.  Enjoy an in depth view of this amazing house in Valdeorras!

This is Amadeo (the founder) & Miguel (the winemaker) in front of their estate

THE HISTORY OF THE BODEGA & REGION

Carving its way westward through the mountains of eastern Ourense to the Atlantic Ocean is the River Sil; a slow moving river that has created a unique microclimate in Spain’s northwest corner for the past millennium or two. Built around this snaking body of water is the D.O. of Valdeorras, the furthest eastern wine region of Galicia and backed up against Bierzo in the western reach of Castilla y Leon.  During the area’s ancient Roman rule, before the Romans planted grapes along the banks of the Sil, they mined for gold in the mineral rich mountainsides, thus the name Valdeorras: Valley of Gold. Plantings are on both sides of the river but vary in distance from the water.  The hills on the north side of the Sil are gentler than on the southern bank, and have greater southern exposure to the sun during the region’s short summer.  The area is becoming famous for their chestnut production as well as their wines, and may even soon see a D.O. title for them as well.  For grapes and wine production, the region has eight communes: Larouco, O Barco, O Bolo, Petín, Carballeda, Rubiá, A Rúa, and Villamartín.  Each village has its own rich history and style, with slightly different microclimates, different soils, and different traditions.

Bodegas Ruchel sits at the top of the town of Villamartín, overlooking the village and the beautiful river that lines it. With large vineyards that were literally ‘cut’ into the hillsides, there are approximately 12 hectares of vines immediately surrounding the bodega. The winery also sources from other neighboring vineyards that terrace up and down the hillsides, each enjoying its own situation in this diverse region. Amadeo López Ferrer began Bodegas Ruchel in the late 1980’s, and has been running and assisting in the winemaking ever since.  He chose this name (Ruchel) because of a very old story that the immediate area tells about a man by the name of Ruchel.  A very wealthy family with a fortune to accommodate their lifestyle, the Ruchels could do anything they chose to do, whenever they chose to do it, and they didn’t mind any of the authority’s rules that they didn’t want to adhere to.  The surrounding neighbors, the nearby towns, and all who were around began to equate the name “Ruchel” with the family who could afford to do whatever they want.  After time, the word began to take its own form as an adjective rather than a noun, and would forever enter the land of folklore when seeking the origin of this unique word: Ruchel.  In the early 1970’s, Amadeo’s cousin was a man who had been known to have plenty of money and could live the lifestyle he chose to live.  He owned the entire hillside that the village of Villamartín sits against, and decided to cut off the top of it in order to build a castle.  Now this isn’t a legend from centuries ago- this was 40 years ago!  He literally chopped off the entire cap of the hill, built a rustic looking castle from the boulders of the torn up hill, and left it for his family to behold.  When Amadeo decided to begin the winery, the location at the top of this hill was within the family holdings, had a 100 meter cave built into the ground below the castle, and was a perfect home for raising Godello vines in Valdeorras.  The bodega was constructed utilizing the unique underground system that was previously built, and as no big surprise, he decided to name the estate after his cousin’s reputation, and being that the location has a 35 year old castle as its backdrop… he named it Ruchel.                  

THE WINEMAKER

Amadeo López Ferrer founded Bodegas Ruchel in 1989 and saw his first vintage come to fruition with only nine thousand bottles of Godello in 1990.  With a strong focus since the beginning on quality and environmentally friendly practices in both the vineyards and the bodega, the family began this expedition not necessarily certain where the business would lead.  Now having over 20 years of experience with the land and the grapes, Bodegas Ruchel is known around the area as making some of the greatest Godello and Mencia wines and has received some very high accolades as well.  Miguel has the most predominant hand in the winemaking today (although this small family group uniquely works as a team throughout many parts of the production), tending to each aspect of the process intently in order to maintain their exceptional reputation.  Although not all of the grapes produced come from the family’s own estate, in this small commune it is very easy for Bodegas Ruchel to be involved with their local farmers and friends in order to oversee how the grapes are treated before brought in to the estate.  Overall, the general demeanor and vibe of this small group of people is very gentle and warm, making it clear and obvious why the wines are so exceptional and fantastic to drink.

 THE EARTH & WEATHER

The Sil River Valley is a natural entrance into the province of Ourense and the general Galician wine regions, bringing a touch of a Mediterranean influence to the eastern portion of this wet Atlantic zone.  Villamartín is right at 300 meters (under 1000 feet) and sees half as much rainfall as Rías Baixas to the west, yet is exposed to decent amounts of snowfall in the mountains during winter, giving ample moisture to the growing fields nearby.  The summer season is relatively short but very hot at its peak (reaching daily temperatures in the upper 90’s), and ideal for the two local varieties to thrive: Godello and Mencia.  The winters drop into the low 20’s which takes care of any bugs and disease, aiding in regulating the vineyards well enough to not require any treatments outside of typical sulfur management, giving Bodegas Ruchel an easier path towards their unobtrusive philosophy.  The darkly soiled landscape is full of granite and slate, and striped with chalk in some particularly good areas for grapes.  Deep in the cave of Bodegas Ruchel, there is an open room that displays perfectly the striped soils that occupy the land here.  The hills are covered with chestnut and olive trees which play a large part not only for their cuisine, but also boosts the local economy.    

THE PRODUCTION

Bodegas Ruchel has been making exemplary wines from local vines of Godello and Mencia since 1990.  They produce upwards of 20,000 cases annually, and have a sincere dedication to producing wines as naturally and unobtrusively to the earth as possible.  They own 12 hectares of vines and source from another 18 hectares to make their entire production.  Being that the terrain is mountainous and incredibly steep in parts, the amount of grapes actually grown is significantly less than an average field of the same area, as many vines are on terraced plots.  Generally, the Mencia grows higher up and on steep edges to maximize the exposure to the sun, and the Godello thrives on flatter and lower plots in order to stay protected from the heat. The Consejo Regulador for D.O. Valdeorras limits production to 10,000kl/ha for the wines of the area; Ruchel keeps yields well below this number as they see a direct effect on the quality of their wines.  They will do the first passing for green harvesting in late June to maximize growth on the superior berries that have emerged as well as to follow the regulations.  After the initial pass, individual clusters will be pruned throughout the season based on maturity and development.  By time of harvest, the vines are developed and perfectly mature to be picked predominately by hand.  The most the vines see in a summer is one treatment of organic sulfur after the spring rains have finished, and the only fertilizers used in the fields come from after the harvest is through, utilizing the skins and stems of the current crush’s softly pressed juice.

Once the juice has been pressed, the wine is immediately chilled in order to relax a bit before fermentation.  Only natural yeasts are used for the must to begin alcoholic conversion, and malolactic fermentation is never carried out with the white wines of the house.  For the Godello, the wine is decanted off of the lees in order to remain fresh and pure, and remains in stainless steel for several months before being bottled for the market.  The Gran Ruchel is a Godello of exemplary quality and limited production.  This wine is placed in tank for fermentation and ages with stirring of its lees for two full months, after this it is transferred to another tank to let the lees settle for another 6 months before it is ready to be bottled.  The Mencias of Ruchel only see oak treatments in stellar vintages and only for very small quantities.  The rest of this red varietal go into a very clean and unoaked version of the wine and is released yearly; it is fresh and uniquely complex, and is surely a phenomenal example of the grape.  Although Bodegas Ruchel has a general pattern for aging and then releasing their wines to the market, they have no qualms with adapting to the vintage and adjusting each wines time in tank and bottle in order to assure the quality is exactly what they expect it to be.  The wines go through cold stabilization as well as a local clay filtration; no egg whites are used in this process, making the wines of Bodegas Ruchel vegan friendly.  Having an extremely deep cave that extends into the mountain from the bodega, there is no use for any temperature control system throughout the entire facility.  The temperature is consistent year round and is perfect for the development of their young and older wines.

LOCAL CUISINE & FOOD PAIRINGS

The wines of Valdeorras are truly remarkable with cuisine.  The Godello varietal is crisp and acidic, but backed with a full texture and robust fruit profile that is absolutely ideal with many foods.  Mencia is an exciting red varietal that has depth of earth and hints of spice, but is packed with very fresh fruits and ample acidity, making it a wonderful complement to a wide array of flavors and textures.  Due to the situation of this wine region, it has influences from both the center of the country (and its devotion to meat), as well as being not too far from the Atlantic ocean for a great assortment of fresh seafood.  The pairings here are unlimited, but here are a few ideas. 

Ruchel Godello: The Godello has an amazing depth to it which is very unique in comparison to other varietals.  Rich in texture, but still refreshing and acidic, this white is fresh and robust.  Try with all types of preparations of vegetables, or there is a lovely lemon custard note in this wine that will most definitely compliment citrus vinaigrettes on salads, creamy sheep & goat’s milk cheeses, or many types of shellfish.

• Bitter green salad with goat cheese, candied chestnuts, and Meyer lemon vinaigrette  
• Sheep’s milk cheese & Membrillo (or candied lemon zest honey)
• Seared scallops with citrus reduction

Gran Ruchel Godello: The Gran Ruchel is as exquisite a white wine can get. Comparable to Premier and Grand Cru Chablis in texture and flavor, this lees aged wine is not for the faint of heart. This wine will complement robust fish dishes, and stand up to most meats as well.

• Cured beef (and many types of charcuterie) & roasted bell peppers
• Braised chard and Jamon (cured pork) empanadas
• Pan-seared white fish, root vegetable puree, lemon-herb oil

Ruchel Mencia: This unoaked Mencia is fresh but with a lot of deep character.  The bright fruit quality is extremely expressive and will pair beautifully with grilled fish and meats, as well as being a go-to wine for a table of assorted cuisines.          

• Ground pork sausage crostini with quail egg
• Cured meats & spicy peppers
• Grilled lamb rack with olive tapenade

D’Amadeo de Ruchel Mencia:  This oaked Mencia is rich and robust with a delicious dark fruit attack that is complemented by gripping tannins, toasty oak, and a long complex finish.  Made only in years of exceptional quality, this Mencia is made for roasted, stewed, or grilled meats.

• Slow-roasted boar with rosemary & creamed potatoes
• Grilled spice-rubbed rib eye steak, root vegetable puree, and pan seared brussels sprouts