Comando G - Villanueva de Ávila 2022

A short distance away from Madrid, the rugged, weathered peaks of the Sierra de Gredos serve as a refreshingly cool retreat from the heat and bustle of the capital. Ancient hilltop towns and cottages dot the tortured landscape of alpine meadows, tumbled boulders, and thick scrub brush. Clustered around this rugged range are several DOs, most notably Mentrida and Viños de Madrid, best known for producing reliably inexpensive and simple country wines to slake the capital’s thirst.

Daniel Landi and Fernando Garcia, friends since college, found themselves working in the area centered around the Sierra de Gredos: Daniel at his family’s estate, Bodegas Jimenez-Landi, and Fernando at Bodega Marañones. Drawn to the mountains and rumors of small, nearly inaccessible vineyard plots located high in the Sierra de Gredos, over time, they began purchasing and leasing the best sites they could find, creating their own project, Comando G in 2008. Along with the pioneers of the Priorat, Daniel and Fernando are redefining what was previously viewed as a workhorse variety, Garnacha, into something that can rival the elegance and finesse of Pinot in Burgundy or Syrah in the northern Rhône.

The vineyards that Daniel and Fernando have assembled are all farmed biodynamically. These vines range from 50 to 80 years old and are planted on sandy soils weathered from granite, slate, and quartz. A combination of high altitude, freely draining soils, and a mild and fairly humid micro-climate – for central Spain – guarantees a long growing season and a modest alcohol level in the finished wines. The resultant wines are startlingly pale, extraordinarily aromatic, and intensely flavorful.

Each site is harvested by hand, usually in October, fermented by indigenous yeasts in open-top French oak casks, then aged in a combination of 500-700L French oak barrels, foudre, and clay amphorae.

"The partnership of winemakers Daniel Gomez Jimenez-Landi and Fernando García, established in 2008, is producing some of Spain’s most sought-after and intriguingly graceful and complex wines. All of the reds are made from Garnacha, and aside from the entry-level Los Brujos bottling, they are highly allocated and, given their widespread demand and limited production (seven wines, from 10 hectares of vineyards), aren’t too easy to find. The style here is distinctly elegant, with an emphasis on balance and energy rather than brawn. This is a cool, mountainous area, so even in hot vintages the fruit, which is drawn from old vines planted at high altitude, is able to maintain freshness. Winemaking here is done with a decidedly light hand, meaning whole cluster fermentations, no new oak influence and minimal handling. The wines show intense floral and spice character, with no undue weight and distinctly energetic character. Indeed, there’s often a Pinot Noir-like laciness and detail to the wines but they emphatically do not lack flavor intensity." - Josh Raynolds, Vinous

“They seem to go from strength to strength and are getting closer to their goal with some of their wines achieving world-class status! One of the most exciting new projects not only in Gredos, but in the whole of Spain!” - Luis Gutierrez, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

 "There is a new village red from the village of Villanueva de Ávila, the village where they have established their operations. For them, the 2022 Villanueva is the more complete wine, subtle and delicate but with energy and power. It comes from different vineyards in the village, some owned, some grapes purchased, grown at an average altitude of 1,000 meters. It fermented with full clusters and had a long maceration (but not as long as in cooler years) of 35 to 40 days, and part of the wine fermented pressed without skins. It fermented and matured in an oak vat. No sulfur was added at any point of the vinification or élevage, and only a small quantity was added at bottling time. It has a moderate 13% alcohol and a very subtle, elegant and nuanced nose, with ethereal notes of flowers, herbs and spice (nutmeg!). It has a medium-bodied palate, nicely textured, with very fine silty tannins and a long, tasty finish. It's austere beyond the character of the year (you'd never say it's a 2022...) with very good aging potential. 2,798 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2023." - 96 points, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Producer: Comando G

Country: Spain

Region: Castilla y León

Varietal: Garnacha

Appellation: Tierra de Castilla y León

Vintage: 2022

Size: 750ml