Comando G 'La Brena' 1er 2022 - 750ml

96pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

The vino de paraje (lieu-dit) 2022 La Breña 1er makes a comeback after the 2020 vintage, as it was not produced in 2021. This has a similar profile to the single-vineyard La Breña; it's perfumed and elegant, without the precision of the single vineyard but still amazingly elegant, with very fine granite tannins and a supple, almost salty twist in the finish that makes you salivate. This is so fresh that I forgot we were tasting a wine from 2022. It's narrow, complete, mineral, elegant and crisp, with Villanueva finesse.

95pts James Suckling

Grilled grapefruit with bitter spices, ginseng and botanicals. Deliciously textured and structured, with austere, sandy tannins and a pristine but lengthy finish full of grapefruit peel, bitter herbs and botanicals. Drink now or hold.

Vineyard Notes

La Breña is a 0.5-hectare parcel of Garnacha a short distance northeast of Rumbo al Norte. Similar to El Reventon, which they sold in 2023, there is a subtle change in the soils of La Breña, which in certain vintages makes a fleshier and more aromatic expression of Garnacha. In more abundant vintages, La Breña 1er cru is made from this part of the paraje blended with some newer vineyards planted nearby. As such, it occupies the place between the paraje wine, La Breña, and the village wine, Navatalgordo. This cuvée isn’t made every vintage, and over time, it may disappear entirely.

Winery Notes

Comando G is a partnership created in 2008 between Daniel Gómez Jiménez Landi of Bodegas Jiménez-Landi and Fernando García of Bodega Marañones.  Drawn to the rugged mountain range of Sierra de Gredos, their aim is to showcase the elegance and finesse of high altitude, old vines garnacha.

The name Comando G comes from a Spanish 1980s cartoon based on “Science Ninja Team Gatchaman", a Japanese anime series from the 1970s.   For Daniel and Fernando, the G also represents Garnacha and Gredos.

Daniel and Fernando are redefining Garnacha.  Modeling a Burgundian system, Comando G produces a village expression Bruja de Rozas, single parcel wines they consider to be Grand Cru Garnacha and a rare Garnacha Blanca and Gris white wine.  

Vines range from 50 to 80 years old, planted on a composite of sandy, granite, slate and quartz soils.  Vineyards are farmed biodynamically.  Grapes are hand-harvested, whole cluster, fermented with indigenous yeasts in open-top French oak casks, then aged in French oak barrels, foudres, and clay amphorae. 

Grape Varietal: 100% Garnacha