Winemaker Notes
From a single parcel at 800 meters elevation. Soils are shallow granite rich in quartz and vines are dry farmed. Grapes are left whole cluster and are macerated softly for about 60 days. Aged for one year in used French Oak.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Fuente de los Huertos Garnacha is a single-vineyard Garnacha from 60-year-old vines on granite and quartz-rich soils with a northeast exposition at 800 meters in altitude in the village of San Martín de Valdeiglesias. The full clusters fermented with indigenous yeasts and had a three-month maceration in plastic bins. It matured in well-seasoned, 3,000-liter oak foudres for 12 months. It has 15.4% alcohol and a pH of 3.3, denoting freshness. Furthermore, the alcohol is not noticeable at all. This is spectacular, their finest wine to date. It is perfumed, floral and elegant, with energy and coolness from the year, the northeast exposure and the granite soils. There’s an ethereal quality, bright and light but with lots of grip. A true bargain at this price.
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.
Sitting just north of La Mancha, Spain’s (and Europe’s, for that matter) largest classified wine region, this region is much smaller than the vast La Mancha. However, Vinos de Madrid DO is a relatively large region in and of itself, with four subregions that start about 9 miles from the city center. Three of the subregions form a semicircle around the southern suburbs, Arganda, Navalcarnero and San Martín, where styles vary from one to another. El Molar, situated directly north of the city, is the newly created 4th subregion.
Since Vinos de Madrid was granted DO status in 1990, it has immersed itself in local wine production. Since then, substantial efforts have been made to raise quality and knowledge of the wines produced here. Millions of tourists who visit Spain’s capital city each year help the wines gain recognition and popularity across the globe. The growing investment through the years has paid off and export markets are increasingly interested in Vinos de Madrid wines.
While Tempranillo is the most planted grape variety in the Arganda subregion in the southeast, Garnacha is the dominant grape in all other subregions, including El Molar in the north, Navalcarnero in the south, and especially San Martín de Valdeiglesias in the west.