2015 Comando G Viticultores, Garnacha “La Bruja de Rozas” Vino de Pueblo, Valle del Tietar, Sierra de Gredos, Spain.
Comando G is the collaboration label of Fernando García & Dani Landi (Daniel Gomez Jimenez-Landi) and focused on the Vinos de Madrid area of Gredos, a high elevation region that is now one of Spain’s hot spots for terroir driven Garnacha (Grenache) grown at close to 850 meters on sandy granite soils that give wonderful delicacy and intensity to the wines, and the Garcia/Landi Comando G offerings are some of the best, they certainly have a cult like following, and this village “La Bruja de Rozas” is a charmer with wonderful layering and detail. The La Bruja (The Witch) de Rozas is finessed with an almost pale ruby/garnet hue, but deep in flavor and complexity, Garcia and Landi (who has his own label) craft their Comando G Garnacha’s using biodynamic or organic grapes all hand harvested, with native yeast ferments and lengthy 30-60 day macerations before aging in large neutral French foudres, allowing 9 months on this wine. I tasted this wine along side the 2012 Landi, and while you can see the similarities and class of both, the Landi was lighter and more nuanced with it’s age, but this 2015 La Bruja is a bit more expressive, richer and forward, though with potential to gain in the mid term and it’s a stunner for the price, it’s easy to see why these guys are in such demand. Brilliant balance, purity, lower alcohol than most Spanish Garnacha, and lift from the soils and acidity give this wine it’s energy and soul, it’s starts with a mix of floral tones, earthy, kirsch and zesty spices with a core of black plum, cherry, strawberry and loganberry as well as a good saline and stony character along with pepper, lavender, light herbal notes, lingering on with pomegranate liqueur, leather and dried violets. This wine gets better with every sip and it’s not to be completely seduced by it’s graceful texture, ripe tannins and subtlety, imported by European Cellars (Eric Solomon) as is Landi’s own wine, this is great wine to start your exploration of Mentrida and the Sierra de Gredos (Vinos de Madrid) in the greater Castilla y Leon area of central Spain. Drink this lovely red now, and be sure to look for 4 Monos by Javier Garcia (Fernando’s brother) and Laura Robles (Imported by Jose Pastor) as well as this one, both impress for the price!
($25 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive
