Vinedos del Jorco (Cebreros, Sierra do Gredos)
We tasted these over the weekend and wanted to finally get an offer for these great wines out there. We have some nice pricing that is US low by a lot on both wines that deliver the style of wine that is now what we all know as Grenache from Gredos. We liked both wines a lot, the elegance and refinement of the “el Jorco” 2020 is quite a wine to behold, harking to Bugundy with it’s finesse. It is a little introverted, but wines like this you need to go to them to unfurl its charms. The color in the glass is an entirely transparent ruby red. The “Las Cabanuelas” is darker, fruitier, with more body and obvious charm that is the extrovert to Jorco’s introversion.
Cesar Ruiz, Flequi Berruti and Nacho Jimenez are partners in several businesses including an amazing Fine Wine shop in Madrid called La Tintoreria Vinoteca as well as a boutique Importer/Distributorship throughout Spain called Alma Vinos Unicos. They have all known the famous winemaker Raul Perez for over 20 years and they represent his wines both throughout Spain and in their shop. In 2009, Raul Perez and the partners decided to do a project together in the Gredos zone just outside of Madrid, focusing on high-elevation Garnacha in what is the now separate DO of Cebreros.
The so-called “Garnacha Belt” west of Madrid is one of the most exciting and unique viticultural areas of Spain and is capable of producing wines that showcase the Pinot Noir-like side of Grenache, with fine, high-toned, mineral-infused red fruits, and an elegance and finesse that is rare in this often clunky and monolithic varietal.
Buy these wines HERE
‘Las Cabanuelas’ 2021 91WA
DO Cebreros
$17.99 on 3+ bottles US LOW
$19.99 reg
mix & match OK
• DO Cebreros, the first officially sanctioned sub-divide of the Sierra do Gredos zone
• Terroir: Granite vineyards throughout Cebreros area. Practicing organic; bush pruned vines.
• Vines: 40 & 60 years old, at altitudes between 700-830m ASL
• Farming: Practicing biodynamic & organic
• Winemaking: destemmed with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats.
• Aging: aged for 6 months in one large old wood vat.
91 pts Wine Advocate
The 2021 Las Cabañuelas is a blend from different plots in the Jorco Valley, all between 40 and 60 years of age and at altitudes between 700 and 830 meters above sea level on granite soils. The destemmed grapes fermented in concrete with a 32-day maceration and matured for 14 months in a 10,000-liter oak vat they bought from Alión. It’s primary, fruit driven and ripe, with freshness and balance, and it has 14% alcohol, good acidity, fine-grained tannins and a clean, tasty finish. 13,000 bottles produced. It was bottled in January 2023.
90 pts Vinous
The 2021 Garnacha Viñedos Del Jorco Chabanuelas is sourced from Gredos, fermented with whole-clusters and aged for six months in foudres. Light-garnet in color, the nose delivers cherry and herbal notes, along with liqueur-like hints. Lean and taut, the refreshing and cleansing palate vibrates with fine-grained tannins, intense and savory.
Our Tasting Note:
Open this and decant it for 30-45 minutes
Medium ruby red core. The med/med+ nose shows fresh and ripe cherry and strawberry, with loamy notes of soil, mushroom, with a savory edge of sage, olive and peppercorns. The palate is medium bodied, medium fine grain tannin, med/med+ palate intensity, once this gets going, this is juicy, with a med/med+ finish.
‘El Jorco’ 2020 92WA
$27.99 on 3+ bottles
$29.99 reg US LOW
mix & match OK
• DO Cebreros
• Terroir: Granite 2.5 hectare single vineyard in the Jorco Valley, a mix of white and pink granite, quite degraded
• Vines: 105 years-old, at altitudes between 845m ASL
• Farming: Practicing biodynamic & organic
• Winemaking: whole clusters fermented with indigenous yeasts
• Aging: matured in 500-liter oak barrels for 16 months
92 pts Wine Advocate
The 2020 El Jorco comes from a 105-year-old vineyard in Cebreros where there is a mix of white and pink granite, quite degraded, at 845 meters above sea level. The full clusters fermented with indigenous yeasts, and the wine matured in 500-liter oak barrels for 16 months. Yields were very low in 2020, and they had to forego the Vino de Familia, so all the grapes from this vineyard went to this cuvée. The wine has finesse, but it’s nicely built and balanced, combining elegance (is it the part of pink granite?) with power. 1,600 bottles produced. It was bottled in March 2022.
- Luis Gutiérrez, May 2023
Our Tasting Note:
Open this and decant it for at least 1 hour, if not 2, this is a very elegant wine that needed about an hour to get in the zone. Medium- ruby red core, luminous and transparent. The med+ nose shows fresh red fruits and stony granite mineral notes, violet florals, red cherry, strawberry and cranberry red fruits. The palate is medium bodied, with medium grain, elegant tannins, medium plus in flavor intensity, this grew with 2+ hours of air in depth and length on the med+ finish.
Buy these wines [HERE]
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