Case of EL Mentridano 2022 | $44.00 per bottle

$44.00 per bottle | $528.00 case of 12

Grape Varieties: 100% Garnacha
Region: Méntrida, Valle del Alberche, Sierra de Gredos, Spain
Appellation: D.O. Méntrida
Producer: Vitícola Mentridana (Curro Barreño)
Soil: Sand over granite
Age of Vines: 40+ years
Elevation: 600+ metres
Aging: 7 months in 30 and 37hL French oak foudres — vegan

The Origin: The Sierra de Gredos is granite, forest and hilltop towns southwest of Madrid, and its old Garnacha spent decades abandoned before a new generation went looking for it. Dani Landi was one of the pioneers who redefined what the grape could be here — pale, intense, mineral-driven. In 2022 he handed his Tiétar Valley vineyards to his childhood friend Curro Barreño, co-founder of the Galician project Fedellos do Couto, so he could concentrate on Comando G. Curro grew up in the Gredos too; Vitícola Mentridana is him coming home. El Mentridano comes from his own family's Garnacha, 40-plus years old, planted in the village of Méntrida at over 600 metres on sandy granitic soils among meadows and holm oaks.

The Profile: Pale in colour and floral on the nose — the Gredos signature — but this is the warmer, more Mediterranean face of the range. Precisely structured, with ripe fruit carried on a mineral lift and delicate tannins, light on its feet despite the ripeness. 94 points, James Suckling; 91 points, The Wine Advocate.

The Craft: Hand-harvested and fermented whole-cluster in vat on natural yeasts, with a short eight-day maceration — extraction is not the goal. Aged seven months in 30 and 37-hectolitre French oak foudres, vessels large enough that the wood stays silent. Farming is sustainable; the wine is vegan.

The Pairing: Serve cool, 14–16°C — Gredos Garnacha suffers when warm. Roast lamb, grilled quail, mushrooms, lentils with chorizo, or a hard sheep's cheese. Light enough for a summer table, structured enough for a winter one.