Hidden away in the mountains near Madrid is Bernabeleva, a magical property that, after 70 years of neglect, has exploded onto the scene over the past decade. The estate's two top wines from ancient Garnacha vines—Viña Bonita  and  Arroyo del Tórtolas—are emerging collectibles. But, for now, their prices remain modest ... if you can find them.

Late last year, we offered the pair from the opulent 2018 vintage and quickly sold out. However, due to so many Madrid restaurants being closed, we've just been offered (as Bernabeleva's sole U.S. importer) a small additional allocation of Arroyo del Tórtolas, from the property's highest vineyard.

Thanks to this new allocation, we can offer the wine in a specially priced 6-pack at just $199. Our regular price for the wine is 20% more, at $39.95 a bottle! Late Spring-Early Summer arrival.

Back Story
Though Grenache is most strongly associated with Châteauneuf du Pape, it was born in Spain, where it adapts to diverse terroirs. But it was not until the 1990s, and the emergence of Alvaro Palacios’ L’Ermita, that the world was reminded of Garnacha’s birthplace.  

Until a decade ago, one of the most providential places in Spain to grow Garnacha—the Sierra de Gredos mountains—had long been forgotten. Here, a Madrid doctor, Vicente Álvarez-Villamil, purchased land nearly a century ago.

Álvarez-Villamil believed that the poor soils of granitic sand, and the wide diurnal temperature shifts, had the potential to produce wine of extraordinary quality, so he planted native clones of Garnacha. But the Spanish Civil War ended the doctor’s dream, and the vineyards lay neglected until 2006.

In that year, his great-grandchildren—cousins Juan Diez Bulnes and Santiago Matallana Bulnes—realized that the Garnacha vines, now in their 9th decade, were a viticultural treasure. Thanks to the vineyard’s high elevation, impoverished soils and cool mountain nights, they produced remarkably concentrated fruit of unique character. 

The Perfect Fit
The famed enologist Raúl Pérez introduced the cousins to the young, gifted Marc Isart Pinos to turn their dream into reality. Marc instituted organic farming, short pruning (to limit yields), gentle extractions, foot treading, extended whole-cluster macerations and aging with very little new wood.

Between their singular terroir and Pinos’ gentle approach, the results are unlike Grenache from anywhere else in the world. This is especially true for the two top wines.

Intensely aromatic and extraordinarily harmonious, Arroyo del Tórtolas is far from the heavy, black Grenache sledgehammers of the hot flatlands. It is a wine of grace, minerality and ageworthiness, which typically begins to show its best after two or three years in the cellar. Yet, thanks to a near-perfect growing season, the 2018 is already remarkably expressive, particularly with some air. Don't miss it at our low 6-pack price.