Bernabeleva Madrid Arroyo del Tortolas Garnacha 2020

The stunning Arroyo del Trtolas vineyard accounts for just 1.2 hectares of 80-year-old vines at 800m above sea level on pure granitic sand. One of three of Bernabelevas single vineyard wines, Arroyo del Trtolas, is the steepest, highest, and the only one that faces north. Juan Bulnes purchased the lower section of the vineyard in 2007 and, three years later, completed the parcel.

The spongey granitic sandsknown locally as episienitaare ploughed by horse under the control of Miguel Santiago, one of this areas two remaining specialists in his field. Arroyo is one of the first of Bernabelevas vineyards to ripen, yet the shifting geology and the steepness of the site always result in two separate harvests from the top and bottom. The yields are naturally meagre, with each vine producing roughly two bottles of wine.

For this wine, the grapes are foot trodden and left to ferment naturally in upright wooden vatsfermentation can last up to two months in some yearswith the percentage of stems dependent on the vintage. The yields are naturally meagre, with each vine producing roughly two bottles of wine. The aging takes place in 500 and 600-litre barrels for 12 months, after which the wine is bottled unfiltered.

We see this wine as the most Gredos Grenache in Bernabelevas portfolio. Where the Via Bonita, from south-facing vines, is a deeper and denser expression, Arroyo del Trtolas gifts something pure, lacy and limpid, with haunting floral-infused aromas and a gracefully structured palate that flourishes with mineral intrigue.