Discovering the wines of Ronda part 2: Badman Wines
In Part 1 you can read about winemaking in the Serranía de Ronda, and the wines made by Cortijo Los Aguilares.
Badman Wines was created in 2016 by two oenologists from Seville, Simbad Romero and Manuel Carrizosa. After many years of travel around the world working and learning about viticulture, they brought their experience together to open their project in the Serranía de Ronda. The name of the bodega comes from joining together parts of founders’ names: SimBAD and MANuel.
The bodega makes wines with grapes from three vineyards located in different areas, each with its own particular soil and climate characteristics:
In an almost two-hectare sized plot at 850 metres near the Sierra de las Nieves, there are vines of Chardonnay, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Merlot, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon.
La Perla Blanca, a smaller 1.1-hectare parcel surrounding the winery, is planted with Syrah and Tempranillo.
In a 1-hectare plot in the foothills of the Sierra de Cádiz, but belonging to the municipality of Manilva (Málaga) and just 3 kilometres from the Mediterranean Sea, there are 70-year-old vines of Moscatel de Alejandría growing in albariza soil.
This is still a relatively small-scale project with the current annual production of just 26,000 bottles.
Manuel picked me up in Ronda and drove us to the bodega, a few kilometres north-west of the town. We got straight down to the tasting.
First up was the latest vintage of a 100% Moscatel de Alejandría (13%) straight from the tank. This had some skin contact maceration before fermentation in stainless steel. Fattened up on its lees before bottling, it was fresh with floral aromatics and good acidity. I really liked this wine.
The Chardonnay 2021 (14%) is made from grapes from the La Perla Blanca parcel. The grapes are picked at night and go straight to pressing with no skin contact. Barrel fermented and aged on its lees for 6-8 months in a mix of French and American oak barrels.
Light gold. Quite broad, fat and complex but also with good acidity and freshness. A really enjoyable wine and one the two bodegueros are very proud of.
Merlot rosado 2022 (13,5%). Directly pressed and fermented at low temperature, and then three months on lees in stainless steel.
With the colour of strawberry juice, it was tangy with red fruit, good volume and a chalky minerality. Very easy to drink.
Tempranillo 2021 (14%). Fermentation in stainless steel tanks and aged in flexitank for 10 months to avoid any oak influence. A young, light tinto with lively red fruit. Refreshing with slightly grainy tannins.
Syrah-Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 (13,5%). Fermented in stainless steel with a maceration of four weeks with skins, followed by ageing in oak barrels of different origins for 10 months. This wine had been bottled just two weeks previously after light filtration and no clarification. Full bodied, complex and with good volume and structure.
Photo credit: Badman Wines
Golfus Petit Verdot 2017 (14,5%). This variety seems well-adapted to the zone, although according to Manuel it is not without its challenges: “Petit Verdot is like a recalcitrant child that you think will end up on the street, but with time he finally does something positive with his life.”
Fermented and then aged for 20 months in new 225 litre barrels. Highly aromatic with a quite concentrated palate of red and black fruit, spice and notes of mint and herbs. Tannins were still fairly muscular and assertive. In a few more years it would reach a perfect drinking window.
Nebris 2019 (14%) is a 100% Palomino Fino made in collaboration with Bodegas González Palacios in Lebrija (Sevilla province). With 15 months of biological ageing under flor, this is a pale-yellow vino de pasto with aromas of cut apple and yeast. Dry, mineral and with a saline thread. A really interesting and slightly mysterious wine.
Thanks to Manuel of Badman Wines for the welcome and hospitality extended to the Spanish Wine Collective.