2020 Bodegas Bernabeleva, Navaherreros Tinto, Vinos de Madrid, Spain

Producer: Vicente Álvarez-Villamil, a Madrid doctor, purchased the land in 1923 planting Garnacha vines in high elevation. Generations of the family maintained the vines, selling the grapes to the local co-op, until in 2006 Vicente’s great Grandchildren, Juan & Santiago Matallana Bunez inherited the vineyards and created the estate. The cousins hired Raul Perez to consult on this project, who brought in Marc Isart Pinos as winemaker – today his assistant, Miquel Chimeno carries on his work.

Place: in San Martin de Valdeiglesias, Madrid, at the foot of the Cerro de Guisando & the Gredos mountains – this is in the Sierra de Gredos zone.

Name: the Logo – the goddess of the hunt accompanied by a bear. ‘Bernabeleva’ – Bear’s forest or the bears route.

Farming: practicing biodynamic, all vineyard work is done by hand.

Varietal: Garnacha

Soil: Sand on weathered granite

Winemaking:  from a combination of high altitude, select estate vineyards, vines are 40-60 years of age. Some whole clusters fermented in various vessels, aged in French barrique, concrete & stainless depending on the site, no fining or filtering.