The El Hombre Bala Tinto comes from small plots of old vines around the Cadalso de los Vidrios area of Gredos, planted in poor weathered granite soils with a sandy texture and a high content of quartz and silica. With a small corner of one of the vineyards being planted to Cariñena, this red is 2% Cariñena (vinified separately and blended at the end), and the rest is dedicated to the local Garnacha fruit.
After a hand harvest, the wholeclusters begin natural fermentation, and are then pressed gently after 35-40 days. During this time, the only ‘pump overs’ done are with watering cans of the wine, keeping the process as gentle and uninterrupted as possible. The wine then rests for 14 months in old French wood of 400 and 700 liters, is fined and lightly filtered, and then lays in bottle for 6 months before release.
The result is a vibrant yet deeply textured red that with a bit of air becomes a dazzling representation of the area. Cranberry, white raspberry, stones, cherry liqueur unfold from the glass, and lead to gorgeous layers of terroir – red cherries, mountain scrub brush, firewood, and first of the season raspberries. The play between the acidity and tannin give such balance and structure to this wine, that it dances with the earth and fruit all the way through to the long finish.
