Garnacha for Burgundy lovers, from a young winemaker in the Madrid DO.
Bodega Marañones is located in San Martín de Valdeiglesias, a sub-region of the Madrid DO. Old vines, high elevations and poor, sandy, granitic soils are typical here. With excellent soil pH, hot days and cool nights, the foothills of the Sierra de Gredos mountains are a prime place for a vineyard.
The young producer behind the Marañones label, Fernando García, is one of a stable of natural winemakers who have been heavily influenced by the biodynamic wines of the Loire and Burgundy.
The Marañones vineyards are between 30 and 80 years old, farmed organically and ploughed by horse. Fernando employs a portion of whole bunch fermentation in open topped barrels with natural yeasts.
These are elegant wines, with pure fruit, minerality and a powerful sense of place.
The Region
Madrid DO
Continental
The Madrid DO stretches from the city in the east to the foothills of the Sierra de Gredos to the west.
Fully acknowledging our own bias, we prefer the high altitude wines made in the furthest western corner of the region, which is better understood as part of the Sierra de Gredos. This area cuts across the Madrid and Méntrida DOs and includes a chunk of the Vinos de Tierra de Castilla y León appellation.
Along the Gredos, the most important town within the Madrid DO is San Martín de Valdeiglesias. The wines here carry the trademark granite-infused delicacy of Gredos Garnacha, albeit with slightly richer, softer more Mediterranean vibe.
San Martín is also home to some of the best white Albillo vineyards, which seem to thrive in the gentler weather patterns at the eastern edge of the Gredos.