2019 La Maldición Vinos de Madrid Tinto de Valdilecha

Marc Isart is one of the most thoughtful, knowledgeable and humble growers we know, and his humility is reflected in the pricing of his two Valdilecha wines. Isart is best known for his work at the outstanding Bernabeleva in the Gredos hills above Madrid, and his lo-fi, organic approach carries over to this tiny solo project: La Maldición. His small parcel of vines is located in the Arganda del Rey area (also within the Viños de Madrid DO). Now labelled Tinto de Valdilecha (the wine was previously called Tinto Para Beber 'a red to drink'), it's a blend of 75% mature-vine Tempranillo (from Valdilecha at 780 metres) with the local white grape Malvar (from Belmonte at a similar altitude) making up the balance. The vines are all biodynamically reared and the grapes hand-harvested. Both varieties are co-fermented with natural yeasts, then the wine spends 20-25 days on skins and is aged in cement and stainless steel tanks. The La Maldición--'the curse'--refers to the daily grind that this region's historical workers faced getting to (and making a living off) the remote, high-altitude, rocky vineyards east of Madrid. There is nothing jinxed about this wine however, which offers bags of the classic cherry/cola fruit of Tempranillo, as well as inky complexity, powdery tannins and refreshing acidity. A delicious, high-grown, yet generous country red and an absolute bargain as always.

Marc Isart is one of the most thoughtful, knowledgeable and humble growers we know, and his humility is reflected in the pricing of his two Valdilecha wines. Isart is best known for his work at the outstanding Bernabeleva in the Gredos hills above Madrid, and his lo-fi, organic approach carries over to this tiny solo project: La Maldición. His small parcel of vines is located in the Arganda del Rey area (also within the Viños de Madrid DO). Now labelled Tinto de Valdilecha (the wine was previously called Tinto Para Beber 'a red to drink'), it's a blend of 75% mature-vine Tempranillo (from Valdilecha at 780 metres) with the local white grape Malvar (from Belmonte at a similar altitude) making up the balance. The vines are all biodynamically reared and the grapes hand-harvested. Both varieties are co-fermented with natural yeasts, then the wine spends 20-25 days on skins and is aged in cement and stainless steel tanks. The La Maldición--'the curse'--refers to the daily grind that this region's historical workers faced getting to (and making a living off) the remote, high-altitude, rocky vineyards east of Madrid. There is nothing jinxed about this wine however, which offers bags of the classic cherry/cola fruit of Tempranillo, as well as inky complexity, powdery tannins and refreshing acidity. A delicious, high-grown, yet generous country red and an absolute bargain as always.