What’s TELMO TUESDAY without a few cases of world-class white wine, too!

“One of Spain’s leading consultants and winemakers.” per Wine Spectator, Telmo Rodriguez is to Spain what Michel Rolland is to France, or what TRB is to California.

Wine Spectator explains, “One of Spain’s top enologists, Rodriguez left La Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri, his family’s bodega in Rioja, to concentrate on new wine projects throughout the country. He has grapes growing and cuvées aging from Alicante to Navarra, Rueda…”

Which is where we are! Still fresh as a daisy, this barrel-aged Verdejo is built like a great Pessac-Léognan while staying fundamentally a Verdejo at heart. With its impeccable weightlessness, stylish balance, and intense concentration of fruit, it plays in the $100+ whites league with a giveaway price point today.

When Decanter wrote “in a manner not dissimilar to the Sauvignon Blanc and Sauvignon-Sémillon blends of Bordeaux, Rueda Verdejo can respond well to fermentation and ageing in barrel, with the best examples providing gastronomic richness and long-ageing potential” they surely were singling a style like El Transistor out.

Another spotlight on Wine Enthusiast sums it up well, “Although much of the Verdejo imported into the U.S. achieves a ‘bang for the buck’ reputation because of the great quality-to-price ratio, understanding the painstaking grape selection, additional resources, aging time and artisanal approach to winemaking - these emerging Verdejo categories are worth our time, attention and maybe a few extra dollars.”

El Transistor’s name comes from Telmo’s idea to place a loud transistor radio in the vineyard to scare away the wild boars – probably not in the biodynamic catalogue, but an effective way to manage pests. His theory of ‘disappearing winemaking’ uses several techniques to enhance and support the wine, but without leaving any signature. He thus ferments and ages El Transistor in various vessels, stainless steel, concrete, amphorae, and oak, so none leaves a significant imprint on the wine, but they all synergize to highlight the aroma and textures.

Not much of this not-to-miss delicacy!

18/20 Points – Jancis Robinson “100% Verdejo from an old vineyard in La Seca. Ambient yeasts. Aged in barrels of 225 and 500 litres for between 8 and 9 months. Very good nose because the oak accompanies the fresh fruit. A wine that, even though oaked, I would consider delicate, with hints of fennel and citrus. Creamy and spicy with beautiful complexity. Broad texture with crisp acidity. On the palate, it flows delicately, concentrated, with hints of minerals and an elegant bitter touch. A complete, serious wine with great finesse with depth. Great wine, a stand-out in the blind tasting. Hats off!”

92 Points – Wine Advocate “The very pale 2020 El Transistor fermented in barrels, foudres and concrete and stainless steel vats, where it matured for six to seven months. It’s always been produced with grapes from the same vineyard on very stony soils. This is subtle and austere, varietal and elegant, harmonious and balanced. It has herbal and floral notes and a tender palate and finishes with a faint bitter twist that I associate with the Verdejo. Drink 2021-2025.”