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Jimenez - Landi
2007 was the year that changed everything. Cousins José and Daniel Jiménez-Landi tipped over the barrels that contained dark, powerful red wines - exactly the wines that Robert Parker loved. In their place came Garnachas of almost Burgundian transparency: brighter, cooler, mineral. Bodegas Jiménez-Landi in Méntrida, at an altitude of 550 to 850 metres, has become an insider tip for anyone looking for elegance instead of extraction.
More about Jimenez - Landi
The change in style in 2007
What José Jiménez-Landi is looking for in his wines today is best described by what he no longer wants: extraction, new barriques, impenetrable depth of colour. Since that watershed year of 2007, the grapes have been fermenting with stems, resting in large used barrels and concrete tanks. Spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts is a matter of course, pumping over and racking are taboo. Minimal intervention, maximum terroir expression - the result is sometimes more reminiscent of the Côte de Nuits than of central Spain.
Granite and metres in altitude
Méntrida is not a name that electrifies wine connoisseurs - not yet. For a long time, the region north of Madrid only existed as a mass wine supplier. The fact that this is changing is due to winegrowers like José Jiménez-Landi and a terroir that sandy granite soils of the Sierra de Gredos with extreme altitudes. José organically cultivates 15 hectares in the foothills at 550 to 600 metres. Grape varieties such as Albillo Real and Malvar grow there for the fresh Blanco Malvar, but also the characterful Natural. A further five hectares are located in El Real de San Vicente at 750 to 850 metres altitude - Here José works strictly biodynamically, follows the lunar calendar, applies horn manure and horn silica.
Piélago and Ataulfos - the Burgundian centre
The winery's two flagship wines come from these high altitudes: Piélago as a local wine and Ataulfos from a single vineyard with vines over 80 years old. Both wines appear transparent, almost pale in the glass - deceptively light. Only in the mouth do they unfold floral aromas of violets and wild herbs, The wines are characterised by a stony minerality that the granite lends to the wines. The comparison with a Chambolle-Musigny is no exaggeration. The annual production remains manageable: 7,500 bottles of Piélago, only 2,500 of Ataulfos.
Two cousins, two paths
The revolution in Méntrida began as a family project. In 2004, José and his cousin Daniel took over their grandparents' winery, which had existed since 1963. Together they developed the new style and together they became Pioneers of the Spanish Garnacha renaissance - similar to Trossos del Priorat in the Priorat or Comando G in the Sierra de Gredos. But in 2013, they parted ways: Daniel founded the now legendary Comando G project, while José remained loyal to the family business. Alone, but more consistent than ever. The cool nights at 850 metres, the barren granite soils, the ancient vines - José Jiménez-Landi has found the perfect place for wines that speak softly and resonate for a long time.
