2017 Comando G, Garnacha, La Bruja Rozas, Vino de Pueblo, Valle del Tietar, Sierra de Gredos, Vinos de Madrid D.O., Spain.
The talented duo of Dani Landi and Fernando Garcia are creative geniuses behind one of Spain’s hottest new wineries, Comando G, who are making wonderful and transparent old vine Garnacha wines, just a short distance away from Madrid, up in the rugged, weathered peaks of the Sierra de Gredos. Making a wine that transcends perceptions, the Comando G Garnacha is brilliant stuff showing racy red fruits, wonderful layering and heavenly length delivering red raspberry, currant, tangy strawberry, pomegranate and plum fruit along with a crunch and herbal bite of stems and wild spices, mineral and stony notes. This unique region of the greater Castilla y Leon area is close to 1,000 meter up with exceptionally cool nights year round and warm days, which allows the Grenache vines to fully mature, but still have lovely balance as this new 2017 La Bruna de Rozas shows, even in a warm vintage like this one, these wines some a ton of personality and charm with clear details and elegant finesse. The pair of college friends, Dani Landi, who also has his critically acclaimed Bodegas Daniel Jimenez-Landi and Fernando Garcia, who also works at Bodega Marañones, began exploring the Sierra de Gredos and in particular the area around Mentrida for top vineyards, finally purchasing and leasing the best sites they could find, creating their own project, Comando G in 2008, and since then have been a tear with each year being outstanding bottlings.
La Bruja de Rozas, is their village appellation blend coming from small parcels, as they put it, vineyards that are planted in the most impossible places, that includes rockfalls and natural amphitheaters high up in the most remote parts of the mountains that are all farmed to biodynamic/organic methods to give these wines a magical quality. This exceptional Garnacha is terroir driven from the high elevation and granitic sand soils making for a floral laced, perfumed wine, and the hand tended vines are all over 50 years old for this wine, though some are closer to 80 years old, adding to the depth and concentration of flavors, as well as the structured mouth feel. The Comando G La Bruja de Rozas saw a long, almost 5 month maceration with partial whole cluster and an all natural yeast fermentation followed by nine months in large oak vats, before Fernando and Dani bottled it.This region and these wines are amazing and Grenache lovers will want to discover the Sierra de Gredos, and especially the wines of Fernando Garcia and Dani Landi under their exciting Comando G label, as well as the wines under their own personal labels, in particular the Landi single cru bottlings, as well as checking out 4 Monos, a new label and Alfredo Maestro’s Carnacha from Gredos. Spain’s new generation is changing the wine world’s understanding of Iberian Peninsula, it’s a thrilling mind expanding time to be a Spanish wine drinker. This crimson/ruby La Bruja de Rozas is delicious vino that is great with food and like a fine Burgundy keeps a hold of your attention throughout the length of the meal, drink over the ext 3 to 5 years.
($35 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive