2010 Rumbo al Norte

Winemakers Daniel G Jiménez-Landi, Fernando García and Marc Isart think of themselves as the Comando G (Comando Garnacha in this case), where their mission is to make the best Garnacha in the world. And they are getting closer to it! This comes from a vineyard in the tiny mountain village of Navarrevisca, in the province of Ávila, and cannot therefore be from the DO Madrid, so it's bottled and sold as Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León, a regional wine category similar to Vin de Pays in France. The 60-year-old vines are planted at 1,200 metres altitude. The 0.3 ha of north-facing vineyards were harvested on 20 October, with 12.8% potential alcohol and 8 grams of acidity. The grapes were fermented in open barriques with their ambient yeasts, with a gentle maceration, and aged for 12 months in 500-litre French oak barrels. Only 1,000 bottles were produced, so this is almost an academic wine (and their most expensive one too). Very pale, but bright, cherry colour. The nose is an explosion of flowers, very elegant, with red fruit and Mediterranean herbs. Perhaps a touch lactic, it develops a distinct and acute blood-orange note. In the mouth it has weight but it is light at the same time. Crisp, it has imminent complexity, is supple with umami notes and well delineated. Very mineral. A wine of emotion. Pure elegance; an exemplary wine. Somehow it makes me think of Musigny… (LG)

The 2010 Rumbo al Norte comes from possibly the highest Garnacha planting in the world at 1,100 meters. Darker in color than the Las Umbrias, it has a very well defined bouquet with dark berries, forest floor, lavender and a touch of sea salt. The palate is medium-bodied with firm, grippy tannins and a tincture of dark chocolate inflecting the broody dark, dusky, licorice-tinged fruit. This is a cerebral Garnacha that might not appeal to everyone, although its structure suggests that it will benefit from 8-10 years in bottle. If the Las Umbrias is Rhone, then the Rumbo is great Bandol. Drink 2017-2030. ||Comando G is a joint venture between the super-talented Jimenez Landi and Fernando Garcia (from Maranones) and Marc Isart (from Navaherreros.) Like the three musketeers, they are out to source fruit from ancient Garnacha vines near the Sierra de Gredos mountains and judging by the exceptional quality of the two 2010s that I tasted, they are doing a very fine job. eRobertParker.com.October, 2012