The Sierra de Gredos is a rugged region of craggy granite peaks, old forests, and ancient hilltop towns. Southeast of Madrid, the vineyard sites are high altitude with well-draining granitic soils and a long growing season due to the cold nights. Ancient garnacha vines cling to the scree slopes. Vitícola Mentridana is a project coming from Dani Landi’s (of Comando G fame) personal vineyards. After focusing solely on Comando G, Landi left his own vineyards in the hands of Curro Barreño, one of his oldest friends. Curro Barreño is a native of Méntrida and is devoted to revealing the beauty of the region’s terroir. We had the pleasure of tasting wines with him at his vineyards and he was dynamic, excited, kind, and warm hearted. He interprets the vineyards of old garnacha in much the same way that Dani might himself, farming with minimal intervention and making wines of great deftness and grace. These are wines that the heart shines through from.

Las Uvas de la Ira was Dani Landi’s village wine. The garnacha comes from six vineyard plots around the village of El Real de San Vicente. All of the vines are older than 70 years, planted on granitic soils at 850 meters. The Tiétar Valley is an extreme environment and requires that the grapes be picked at different times to accommodate variations in ripeness and expression. Macerations range from 30-60 days with fermentations occurring with indigenous yeasts and whole clusters. All of the cellar work is done with a light touch. The wine is beautiful red plums and blood oranges, cardamom and star anise, sage and stone.

This wine is a pre-arrival, with estimated arrival end of March