Muchada-LéclapartAlejandro & David
Where Champagne chalk meets albariza limestone. The unfortified revolution in the Sherry Triangle—proving Palomino is anything but neutral when treated with biodynamic reverence and chalky terroir.
From architecture to agriculture—how a chance harvest in Champagne sparked the unfortified renaissance in Sanlúcar.
In 2011, Alejandro Muchada was an architecture student in Seville with no interest in wine. When his research trip to Morocco coincided with Ramadan, he changed plans and backpacked to France to work on organic farms. A friend offered him a harvest position in Champagne with relatives—he accepted, having never heard of the producer David Léclapart.
Those seven days in Trépail proved transformative. "It was like an initiation journey," Alejandro recalls. "I had never heard of biodynamics. I was floating on air when I returned home." The atmosphere of Léclapart's house—part laboratory, part sanctuary—captivated him. He returned the following year, and in 2013, David visited Sanlúcar de Barrameda for a holiday.
Alejandro began working vineyard crews in Sanlúcar, learning the old techniques of vara y pulgar pruning from Juan Morales and renting small plots. By 2016, the collaboration crystallized: they would farm biodynamically, work only with massal selection old vines, and—radically for the Sherry Triangle—produce only unfortified table wines that expressed the albariza soils without makeup. No flor, no fortification, no old casks. Pure Palomino. Pure terroir.
"Albariza without makeup"—no flor, no fortification, no old casks. Just pure Palomino and living chalk.
Muchada-Léclapart refuses to call their wines "natural," despite fitting every criterion: biodynamic farming, native yeast fermentation, minimal sulfur (3-5 gr/hl added only at pressing, less than 10mg/l total in bottle), no filtration or fining. "We don't like faulty, unclean wines," Alejandro states. "We seek precision, not accidents."
Their radical act is rejecting the entire Sherry apparatus. No fortification with neutral alcohol. No biological aging under flor yeast. No oxidative aging in ancient solera casks. Instead, they treat Palomino like Chardonnay in Chablis or Champagne: early morning harvests (6am-10am), whole-bunch pressing in Champagne cycles (4 hours), fermentation and aging in used Bordeaux barrels or enameled steel tanks, and maturation on fine lees.
"At 20 tons/hectare, any wine is neutral," Alejandro insists. Their yields are one-third of their neighbors' (7 tons/ha), allowing Palomino to reveal its true character: saline, chalky, Atlantic, and deeply mineral. The old massal selection vines—propagated from cuttings selected over generations for quality rather than productivity—provide genetic diversity that monoclonal modern vineyards have lost.
Without Makeup
Pago Miraflores—the most Atlantic vineyard in the Sherry Triangle. Where tosca cerrada meets the ocean breeze.
Pago
One of the most historically relevant pagos in Sanlúcar, located on the western edge closest to the Atlantic. Facing west toward the ocean, it is the coolest spot in the Marco de Jerez, allowing grapes to achieve full maturity without excessive alcohol.
Soil
Chalky limestone soils of "tosca cerrada" and "lentejuela"—white, porous, and moisture-retentive. Similar to Champagne's craie but with unique marine fossil deposits. The soil provides both the salinity and the electric acidity that define these wines.
Pulgar
Pruning
The traditional short pruning method of the region, designed to control the vines' natural vigor and protect against wood-eating insects. Preserves old wood and maintains the bush-trained vines that have survived for 60-90 years.
From the electric freshness of Univers to the profound depth of Étoile—unfortified Palomino in its purest forms.
Univers
"The Universe"—the entry to their cosmos. 100% Palomino from 20-year-old vines in the lower section of La Platera. Fermented and aged in enameled steel tanks (solid steel with ceramic lining, not stainless). Electric, saline, and pure, highlighting the youthful energy of young vines on albariza.
Lumière
"Light"—old vine Palomino (60+ years) from the higher, purer albariza sections of La Platera. Fermented and aged 9 months in used 225L Bordeaux barrels. The flagship wine that convinced critics Palomino could rival white Burgundy—taut, mineral, with a fine chalky grip and Atlantic breeze.
Étoile
"Star"—old vine Palomino aged in Manzanilla casks from Ignacio Partida, foreman at the legendary El Armijo vineyard. A bridge between their unfortified philosophy and the region's history. The casks impart subtle complexity without oxidative character—kept topped up, not as a solera.
Vibrations
The most adventurous cuvée—Palomino with skin contact, gaining depth and phenolic texture. Very limited production (300-700 bottles depending on vintage). Gains complexity with bottle age; the 2016 is reportedly at its peak now. A meditation on Palomino's structural potential.
Elixir
A exotic, dry blend of 55% Moscatel from Chipiona's sandy Pago Abulagar and 45% Palomino from Miraflores. The Moscatel provides aromatic exuberance (orange blossom, jasmine) while the Palomino contributes salinity and persistence. A bridge between mountains and sea.
Clos
A single vineyard expression from specific parcels within their holdings. Represents the pinnacle of their terroir-specific approach—usually from the oldest vines with the highest proportion of pure tosca cerrada. The most limited and sought-after of their annual releases.
Fugaz
"Fleeting"—a pétillant naturel made from Palomino, originally produced in 2016 and 2017 but now discontinued for commercial export (only available in Spain). David Léclapart's Champagne expertise meets Sanlúcar grapes. A snapshot of their early experimental phase.
La Platera
Named after their primary vineyard—a 1.7-hectare plot purchased in 2017 in Pago Miraflores. Sometimes bottled as a site-specific cuvée separate from Lumière, showing the pure expression of this west-facing, Atlantic-influenced terroir with its mix of old massal vines and younger plantings.
Architects of Albariza
Muchada-Léclapart has fundamentally altered the perception of Palomino Fino and the Sherry Triangle. Before their work, Palomino was dismissed as a neutral grape suitable only for fortification and biological aging. They proved it is capable of transmitting terroir with the same precision as Chardonnay or Riesling—when farmed biodynamically at low yields and vinified with respect.
Their influence extends beyond the bottle. Alejandro's advocacy for massal selection, manual labor, and living soils has inspired a new generation in the Marco de Jerez to reconsider their relationship with albariza. The project demonstrates that the future of this historic region may lie not in its soleras, but in its soils.
- Pioneers of unfortified premium Palomino
- Biodynamic farming in historic Pago Miraflores
- Champagne-Jerez cross-cultural collaboration
- Preservation of massal selection old vines
- Revival of "vara y pulgar" pruning
- Influenced natural wine movement in Andalusia