Over the past few years the Sierra de Gredos has become the mecca for quality wines in the Madrid region. This mountainous area is home to old, rediscovered Garnacha vines and is producing internationally acclaimed wines. Las Moradas de San Martín was one of the pioneers in this resurgence. Senda 2020 comes from gobelet-trained vines grown in dry-farmed vineyards and has been aged for 10 months in barrels and foudres. This vintage has a new image and has won prizes at international competitions. It’s very fresh, aromatic and easy to drink, with a combination of floral, black and wild fruit, balsamic and mineral notes. Pure Garnacha.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
Consumption time
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
100% Garnacha tinta
Type of barrel
3- to 5-use 500-litre European oak barrels and foudres
Type of bottle
Burgundy
Barrel aging time
10 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Bottling
03/2022
Alcohol content (% vol.)
14.5
General Information
A romantic venture is how Las Moradas de San Martín can be defined. This small winery was founded in 1999 with the idea of making quality wine from the native Garnacha grape in the mountains of the Sierra de Gredos, an area with a tradition of cultivating this variety which had almost fallen into oblivion. This area is home to Senda 2020, a red wine that reflects the particular terroir of Las Moradas and a vintage that’s resulted in pleasant, round and aromatic wines.
This red wine comes from gobelet-trained, dry-farmed vines that produced excellent grapes with good acidity and ripeness. Specifically, the grapes were from Panaderos, Corzos, Boquerón, La Coja and Poniente, plots with granitic sandy loam soils, where the vines produce low yields of barely 2,000 kg/ha.
The grapes were harvested by hand, plot by plot, and in crates. At the winery, the bunches were selected on a sorting table and fermented separately by plots with their own yeasts and very occasional gentle pumping over. The wine was aged for 10 months in 500-litre, 3- to 5-use French oak barrels and foudres, depending on each plot. After that, the wine was blended in tanks until bottling, without clarification or filtering, which took place naturally.
Founded in 1999 in San Martín de Valdeiglesias (southwest Madrid), Las Moradas de San Martín was a pioneer in a movement that was joined by Spanish wine figures and wineries which have earned Gredos's Garnachas international acclaim. From the outset it focused on recovering old vineyards in this area, which has a long history of winegrowing. After thoroughly studying soils and producing micro quantities, the winery decided to establish itself in Pago de los Castillejos, at an altitude of 900 metres above sea level, where it pampers and rescues century-old Garnacha vines.
Senda 2020 (D.O. Vinos de Madrid) goes perfectly with game and stews.
Creators' opinion
Very fresh, lively and aromatic. Cherry-red of medium intensity, this is a very varietal Garnacha with aromas of flowers, plums, wild fruits and woodland (balsamic), as well as graphite, and mineral background notes. Smooth on mid-palate and very clean-tasting and elegant finish.
The winery
Winery
Oenologist
Winemaker
“A romantic project.” This is how we can define Las Moradas de San Martín, a small winery founded in 1999 with the idea of producing high-quality wine using Spain’s quintessential native grape, garnacha, which at the time was unjustly forgotten. To achieve this, the chosen path was the recovery of old vineyards in a historically renowned winemaking area: San Martín de Valdeiglesias, in the Sierra de Gredos, southwest of Madrid. Thus, Las Moradas became a pioneer in a movement that attracted prominent figures in Spanish wine and wineries, bringing the garnachas of Gredos to the attention and acclaim of the international stage.
After meticulous soil studies and micro-vinifications, the winery decided to establish itself in the Pago de los Castillejos, at 900 m altitude, where they carefully nurture and rescue century-old garnacha vines. These vines, growing in very poor granite soils, yield limited quantities of concentrated, high-quality berries. Organic viticulture and non-interventionist winemaking are other key principles of the winery.
Thanks to the altitude, the vineyards benefit from temperature variations and slower, better ripening processes. The estate is home to century-old garnacha vineyards alongside new plantings selected to complement quality. The winery owns 21 hectares of vineyards: 19 hectares of garnacha – with century-old vines – and 2 hectares of albillo real. Las Moradas de San Martín produces wines with great personality that have garnered international critical acclaim, including from the guru Robert Parker. Their annual production barely reaches 50,000 bottles.
After meticulous soil studies and micro-vinifications, the winery decided to establish itself in the Pago de los Castillejos, at 900 m altitude, where they carefully nurture and rescue century-old garnacha vines. These vines, growing in very poor granite soils, yield limited quantities of concentrated, high-quality berries. Organic viticulture and non-interventionist winemaking are other key principles of the winery.
Thanks to the altitude, the vineyards benefit from temperature variations and slower, better ripening processes. The estate is home to century-old garnacha vineyards alongside new plantings selected to complement quality. The winery owns 21 hectares of vineyards: 19 hectares of garnacha – with century-old vines – and 2 hectares of albillo real. Las Moradas de San Martín produces wines with great personality that have garnered international critical acclaim, including from the guru Robert Parker. Their annual production barely reaches 50,000 bottles.