Las Iruelas, Comando G 2022

Comando G is one of those producers that changed the conversation about Spanish wine. When Fernando García and Daniel Landi started working in the Sierra de Gredos back in 2008, hardly anyone outside the region had heard of it. Now, it's one of Spain's most exciting wine areas, and Comando G is a big part of why.

Las Iruelas is their village wine, made from old-vine Garnacha grown at high altitude in the Gredos mountains west of Madrid. The vineyards here are steep, rocky, and mostly forgotten – the kind of places that were abandoned decades ago because they're too difficult to work mechanically. But that's exactly what makes them special.

The wine is pure, energetic Garnacha – red fruit, herbs, a touch of spice, and that distinctive mountain freshness that keeps everything lifted and bright. There's structure here, but it's all about finesse rather than power. It's the kind of wine that shows what Garnacha can do when it's grown in the right place and handled with care.

Comando G works organically and keeps intervention minimal in the cellar. The focus is on expressing the character of these high-altitude sites, and Las Iruelas does exactly that. It's approachable now but has the balance to age if you're patient.

If you're curious about what's happening in modern Spanish winemaking, this is essential drinking.