Marc Isart La Maldicion Malvar de Valdilecha 2019
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"The fundamental idea is to encapsulate in the wines the landscape and the people who live and work in this land." - Marc Isart, winemaker.
From Catalalinia, Marc Isart is head winemaker at the much acclaimed Bernabeleva, where he is spearheading the property’s transformation to biodynamics. Isart works on “getting back in touch with the home soil, nature and farming.” The La Maldición label (translates to “The Curse”), named for the laborers’ struggles to reach and then work the land at this secluded property in Valdelichia, Madrid. These vineyards are located in the Arganda del Ray sub-zone within the Viños de Madrid DO.
Residing at 716m, the village of Valdelicha has old Tempranillo vines planted at 780m, while Belmonte is home to old Malvar vines at 733m. Planted to soils that are mostly sedimentary calcareous and gypsiferous in parts, with a raw, clayey texture, the vineyards are difficult to farm with their surrounding cliffs and canyons.
In 2016, Marc Isart added two wines to his portfolios: Gleba de Arcilla and Oxidativo de la Olla. Gleba de Arcilla is a plot selection of the local form of Tempranillo grapes isolated in the center of the vineyard, intended to represent a unique style of Tempranillo. The concept of Oxidative de la Olla represents a tradition-inspired white aged in clay tinaja
There are hundreds of white grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles.
Sitting just north of La Mancha, Spain’s (and Europe’s, for that matter) largest classified wine region, this region is much smaller than the vast La Mancha. However, Vinos de Madrid DO is a relatively large region in and of itself, with four subregions that start about 9 miles from the city center. Three of the subregions form a semicircle around the southern suburbs, Arganda, Navalcarnero and San Martín, where styles vary from one to another. El Molar, situated directly north of the city, is the newly created 4th subregion.
Since Vinos de Madrid was granted DO status in 1990, it has immersed itself in local wine production. Since then, substantial efforts have been made to raise quality and knowledge of the wines produced here. Millions of tourists who visit Spain’s capital city each year help the wines gain recognition and popularity across the globe. The growing investment through the years has paid off and export markets are increasingly interested in Vinos de Madrid wines.
While Tempranillo is the most planted grape variety in the Arganda subregion in the southeast, Garnacha is the dominant grape in all other subregions, including El Molar in the north, Navalcarnero in the south, and especially San Martín de Valdeiglesias in the west.