2016 is  gone and it has been a year of austerity for me. Not much cash in my pocket, so it was one of the years in a long time that I spent less on wine. I have always sticked to Spain for wine but in this brutal year that is about to finish, even more for their fine values.

Not only Spain produces wines friendly for the pocket but also is a continous source of discoveries and wow factor. My latest musing has been with an appellation that many Canadian wine lovers dont now: Vinos de Madrid.

The SAQ only list 3 wines in their catalog from this appellation. I hope that they continue to list more since it is a place to watch for.

Madrid is not only the capital of Spain but also one of Europe’s great cultural centers. Tourists invade  Madrid to see its museums and plazas and to enjoy some of their greatest resturants. However,  many visitors don’t realize that Madrid has a wine region all its own, the Vinos de Madrid Denomination of Origin (DO).

The DO is divided into three subzones: Arganda, Navalcarnero and San Martín de Valdeiglesias. Arganda, southeast of Madrid, is the largest of the three. San Martín, to the extreme southwest, is the next largest, while Navalcarnero, also in the southwest, is smallest. The climate is of the continental type.  If you ever find yourself visiting Madrid, this make a nice day trip.

Bodegas Maranones is the proyect of Fernando García Alonso, co-founder of Comando  G). The estate is comprised of 20 hectares between  old bush vines (between 30 and 70 years old) of local varieties (mainly Grenache and Albillo) in a Mediterranean forest, at an altitude of between 650 and 850 meters above sea level.

The winery employs organic farming methods. Each plot is vinified separately and manually, in order to express the characteristics of each soil and vintage. The principles of biodynamics are applied on the vineyards and during the winemaking process as well.

Bodegas Maranones 30000 Maravedies 2014. SAQ # 12769571. $23.10

Maravedíes were an ancient form of currency once used in Castilla and 30,000 Maravedíes was the sum that Don Alvaro de Luna paid a local monastery, centuries ago, for the land where Bodega Marañones is now located. It is an appropiate name for this “village” wine made from three terroirs that Fernando farms: Manrañones, Andrinoso and Dehesa. Made primarily from Garnacha, there is about 10% Morate and a tiny amount of Syrah included in the blend.

The wine  starts with an amazing nose of fresh picked cherries, then continue with  layers of cracked pepper, fresh leather, rhubarb and  green pepper, with nuances of mint, plums and fig.  The wine goes on and on and become richer and more complex with a blueberry red fruit compote.

I hope that in 2017 my wine fortunes will improve so I will continue in my discovery quest.