Comando G Las Iruelas Garnacha 2022

The vineyard itself lies at 1,000m. It’s surrounded by pine forests, and unlike many of the Comando G vineyards has survived more or less intact since being planted in 1963. Meaning, at 1 hectare in size, it’s the largest and most productive of the Comando G single vineyard sites. It’s also one of the most complex soil profiles, where slate that’s unique to the towns around Cebreros mixes with the more alpine granite typical of the Alto Alberche. There’s also an higher amount of iron here, giving the soil a much warmer glow than the typically grey-scale vineyards further into the mountains. Importer note.

Las Iruelas suffers less in warm years, and the 2022 Las Iruelas showed quite well. Like some other wines from 2022, it was given one extra year of aging in concrete after spending two winters in oak foudres. It has ripeness with 15% alcohol, but it doesn't show it, and there's no sensation of heat at all; the wine is harmonious and balanced. It reflects the slate soils from El Tiemblo, the village where the vineyard is located, and it's less Mediterranean than other warm vintages. The vines delivered good yields, and it rained during the harvest, which made the wine finer-boned. It's somewhere in the style of 2019, perhaps 2017 or 2015. 4,522 bottles produced. It was bottled in February 2025. 97 pts, Luis Gutiérrez, The Wine Advocate.