The wines of José-Luis Mateo are quite possibly the most refined European wines that most people have never heard of. Mateo is a vigneron widely revered by Spanish producers (especially in Galicia) as the most significant grower of their country. And yet, Mateo is one of the humblest people you’re ever likely to meet. He speaks no English, and with a base in Galicia’s least-known DO, he’s remained hidden from most of the English-speaking world.

Mateo makes a wide range of terroir-specific wines, each in tiny batches, ranging from a few-hundred cases to the contents of a single barrel. He works with no less than 26 varieties (all planted by massale selection), and trials these different grapes across various locations and diversity of soil types. José explains, “This is a work of many generations. I’m not in a hurry; I’d rather do little but be good at it”

Having set up shop in 1991, Mateo works with 15 hectares of vines spread across Monterrei’s three growing districts of Pazo de Monterrei, Oimbra and Tamaguelos. The DO Monterrei may be young (established 1992), but its legacy of wine growing goes back some 300 years. Muradella’s vineyards are generally tiny, isolated ‘hermitic’ plots (both in the hills and on the flatter lands) formerly farmed by the local paysans, and some simply abandoned. Scrupulously resuscitated vine-by-vine, all the Muradella vineyards are managed biodynamically (certified organic) and are populated with a cornucopia of indigenous vines—a list far too long to mention here. Soils vary considerably with differing degrees of slate, granite, iron and quartz, as do the altitude and aspect, offering the artistic Mateo a rich palette with which to express his place.

Mateo follows traditional techniques without eschewing technological advances where they aid quality. All the grapes are whole-berry pressed and raised in used Burgundian pièces (228-litre), although he is experimenting with larger-format oak for some cuvées. All ferments are wild, and the wines are neither fined nor filtered. There is tremendous poise, purity, and character to be found in these unique, lovingly made wines. It is no exaggeration to say that Mateo’s vineyard-driven, artisanal model of wine growing has been highly influential in Spain. He has worked this way for some 25 years in the remote terroirs of Monterrei, and the trail he has blazed is now followed by many of Spain’s exciting new breed of terroiristas. Just as the cream of young French winegrowers studied and tried to emulate the work of Selosse, Foucault, and Dagueneau, a good number of their Spanish counterparts look to this secluded corner of Galicia for their inspiration.