Comando G + Uvas Felices 'El Hombre Bala' Albillo Real 2023 (750 ml)

100% Albillo Real
Fermentation 500L barrels, Indigenous yeasts
Aging 8 months in Old 500L barrels, Mixed barrel types
Filter / Fining Light filter, Bentonite
ABV 13.5%
Farming Methods Organic (not certified)

The El Hombre Bala Blanco comes from the hand harvesting of a tiny plot of Albillo Real called Mingo Grande in the cooler climate Cadalso area of Gredos. These old bush vines are worked by hand and horse, see only sulfur for treatments, and just manure from cows (and the horse). Once at the cellar, the clusters are immediately pressed whole, seeing no skin time, and enjoy a natural fermentation in 500-liter barrels. Malolactic is not carried out, and the wine ages in the same barrels in contact with the gross lees (with no batonnage) for eight months. After fining and a light filtration, the wine is bottled and rests for a few months before release. The final result is nothing short of stunning. Stones and minerality on the nose with hints of lemon and quince, and cool mountain air, that becomes more expressive with oxygen and time. The mouth feel and weight are bright and vibrant yet showcase the fruit’s ability to find compliment from the wood, and not distraction. Bright acid, a long finish, and a quality of fruit that only happens in photos.

El Hombre Bala = The Bullet Man
a circus character whose performance is explosive & vertical, & mimics the profile of the wines perfectly 

Uvas Felices collaborated and joined forces with Comando G in 2010 to create wines from old vine plots throughout the Sierra de Gredos mountains (to the west of Madrid). This region still only carries the D.O. status of Vinos de Madrid, but has a unique and remarkable history of its own, with very old and deep soils of sand and gravel that are chock full of quartz and silica. This coupled with a cooler mountain climate with an elevation of 600 and 1100 meters, Gredos is all about the resurgence and rediscovery of this incredible terroir for primarily Garnacha, and Albillo Real. The naturally low yields of these unique vineyards clearly require special attention, with only organic work done by hand, and letting the natural beauty and character of the grapes showcase themselves with natural fermentations and very little intervention in the winery. Under the watchful eyes and skilled expertise of Comando G, the gorgeous vines and grapes of Uvas Felices have everything they need to become the breathtaking wines that rest in their two labels: El Hombre Bala & Agricola de Cadalso.

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