Alfredo Maestro El Marciano 2023

El Marciano is a Garnacha from 70-year-old bush vines growing on granite at around 1,100 metres in the Sierra de Gredos.

The Sierra de Gredos, west of Madrid, has become one of Spain's most closely watched sources of old-vine Garnacha, prized for altitude, granite and a cool mountain climate that keeps alcohol and acidity in balance. Alfredo Maestro's parcels lie at Navarredondilla and San Juan de Molinillo in Ávila, on south-facing slopes where granitic sand sits only centimetres above the bedrock. The fruit was picked by hand in the second week of September and fermented on indigenous yeasts, spending 12 to 15 days on skins with daily pump-overs. Racking and malolactic fermentation took place in stainless steel, after which the wine was moved outdoors to use the harsh mountain winter for natural clarification and cold stabilisation—an old practice that avoids fining and filtration. It was racked once more to settle and bottled the following May with no corrections or additions.

Drinking now and over the next five to six years. Serve at 16–18°C with roast kid, grilled mushrooms or a mild chorizo.

*Every effort is made to ensure the current vintage is accurate; however, variations can occur. If you are after a specific vintage, please contact us prior to ordering.

Type: Red Wine
Style: Medium-bodied, Fresh, Mineral-driven
Grape Varietal: Garnacha
Tastes Like: Comparable to a Côtes du Rhône Grenache, but lighter, fresher and more mineral from the altitude and granite
Alcohol Percentage: 14%
Closure: Cork
Size: 750mL
Appellation: Vino de España
Region: Sierra de Gredos, Ávila, Spain
Terroir: South-facing slopes at around 1,100 metres, with granitic sand only centimetres above the bedrock and bush vines of around 70 years
Aging: Fermented on indigenous yeasts with 12 to 15 days on skins, racked and through malolactic in stainless steel, then naturally cold stabilised outdoors over winter and bottled unfined and unfiltered
Serving Temperature: 16–18℃ – Serve slightly below room temperature

Alfredo Maestro works with old-vine parcels in the Sierra de Gredos, farming and vinifying with as little intervention as the fruit will allow. His wines are made on indigenous yeasts, without fining or filtration and with no corrections or additions in the cellar.

The Sierra de Gredos, west of Madrid, has become one of Spain’s most closely watched sources of old-vine Garnacha, prized for altitude, granite and a cool mountain climate that keeps alcohol and acidity in balance. El Marciano comes from parcels at Navarredondilla and San Juan de Molinillo in Ávila, on south-facing slopes where granitic sand sits only centimetres above the bedrock, from bush vines of around 70 years of age. After fermentation the wine is moved outdoors so the harsh mountain winter can clarify and cold stabilise it naturally, an old practice that avoids the need for fining.

Meat: Perfect with roast kid, slow-cooked lamb shoulder or suckling pig
Charcuterie: Excellent with mild chorizo, jamón and Spanish cured meats
Vegetarian: Pairs beautifully with grilled mushrooms, roasted peppers or lentil stews
Tapas: Ideal with patatas bravas, pimientos de padrón or a tortilla

Manchego Semi-Curado: Firm and gently nutty, complementing the wine’s red fruit
Idiazábal: Lightly smoked and sharp, echoing the wine’s savoury edge
Torta del Casar: Rich and spoonably soft, balanced by the wine’s acidity
Tetilla: Mild and buttery, pairing naturally with the wine’s lighter frame

Patatas Revolconas (Avilan Crushed Potatoes with Pimentón)

Ingredients (Serves 4):

• 1kg floury potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 200g pork belly or streaky bacon, cut into strips
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp sweet pimentón de la Vera
• ½ tsp hot pimentón
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and cracked black pepper

Instructions:

1. Boil the potatoes with the bay leaf in well-salted water until completely tender, then drain, reserving a cup of the cooking water.
2. Fry the pork belly slowly in the olive oil until the fat renders and the strips turn crisp. Lift them out and set aside.
3. Reduce the heat and add the sliced garlic to the pan, cooking briefly until fragrant without letting it brown.
4. Take the pan off the heat and stir in both types of pimentón, working quickly so the paprika does not scorch.
5. Add the drained potatoes to the pan and crush them roughly with a wooden spoon, loosening with a little cooking water until rustic and creamy.
6. Season generously and beat until the potatoes take on an even brick-red colour.
7. Serve hot, topped with the crisp pork belly.

The signature dish of Ávila, where El Marciano’s vineyards lie, Patatas Revolconas is a natural partner for this mountain Garnacha. The wine’s bright acidity and fine tannin cut through the rendered pork fat, while its red fruit and granite-driven freshness lift the smoky depth of the pimentón.