Viticola Mentridana, El Mentridano, Mentrida, Sierra de Gredos, Spain

The Sierra de Gredos is a wild and remote region of granite peaks and forests in the country between Madrid and Portugal. Like many such regions in Spain the land is difficult to farm and very many vineyards were abandoned. But the free draining acidic soils, the high altitude and long growing season, and the pockets of ancient vines have attracted a new generation of growers. Among them Curro Barreño, who grew up in the area and also makes wine in Ribeira Sacra, further north in Galicia.

El Mentridano is a graceful wine with ethereal, floral aromatics, and power and structure.