Casa Lebai

Brothers Asier and Rodrigo Calvo produce authentic, terroir-driven, single-vineyard wines that capture the essence of the Burgos region. 

Casa Lebai is a new project by brothers Rodrigo and Asier Calvo, who represent the latest generation of their family to run Bodegas Arrocal – a property based in the village of Gumiel de Mercado in the Ribera del Duero DO. Only 4,600 bottles of authentic, terroir-driven wine are produced under the Casa Lebai label, divided into three single-vineyard bottlings. The project focuses on preserving Gumiel de Mercado’s viticultural heritage.

Tempranillo from a unique set of vineyards

In 2015, after Asier Calvo returned home from working in Oregon and completing his oenology degree, he and Rodrigo took over the running of the Arrocal family winery. The brothers first conducted an in-depth study of their vineyards, classifying them by clones, zones, soils and orientation to better articulate the character of each site – a process that the two have dubbed ‘zoning’. Asier and Rodrigo finally selected three specific plots in Gumiel de Mercado for their Casa Lebai venture, based on age, soil composition, and the winemaking methods to be used. ‘Matadiablos’ is a 2.61-hectare vineyard containing Tempranillo vines that were planted almost 30 years ago. ‘La Nava’, on the other hand, comprises only 0.36 hectares of vines that are over 80 years of age. This parcel is stocked primarily with the white grape Albillo Mayor but also includes a small proportion of other native varieties (Valenciano Blanco, Moscatel, Palomino Fino, and Pirules). The third holding, ‘El Portillo’, covers 1.46 hectares and is situated on the northern side of the River Duero directly adjacent to ‘La Nava’ at an altitude of 829 metres. This plot contains Tempranillo bush vines planted in 1936 as well as smaller quantities of Garnacha and Bobal. The first Casa Lebai vintage to be bottled was 2019.

Harnessing tradition and innovation

The brothers initially made the Casa Lebai wines at their own Bodegas Arrocal, where a new, modern winery was built in 2003. In 2025, they will move their operations to an ancient cellar in the centre of Gumiel de Mercado, which contains old wine presses dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries. Restoring this cellar and using the traditional winemaking tools therein is their way of knitting tradition and innovation even more tightly together. They aim to uphold the legacy of previous generations by producing authentic quality wines that reflect the terroir of the Burgos region.

“To imagine the future, we must first look at the past.”

Rodrigo Calvo, Casa Lebai

casalebai.com