Comando G 'Navatalgordo' Sierra de Gredos 2024 750ml

Product Info

95pts Wine Advocate
The village red 2024 Navatalgordo comes from 2.5 hectares in different plots in the village, where the soils are very stony and have a lot of quartz. There are some new vineyards; they managed to buy some and some belong to growers, though some of those are worked by the Comando team. 2024 was warmer than 2023 but with more finesse than 2022. It was marked by the frost the 23rd of April, a night with a full moon and lots of humidity because it had rained a lot, and they lost 60% of the grapes. The remaining grapes were picked at the right time, despite the dynamics of the harvest, when the nights were quite warm. They finished harvesting earlier and managed to keep the alcohol levels under control. Most of the 2024s come in at 14% alcohol but keep the poise and balance. The wine is quite primary, and there's a little more concentration and a gentler profile. It has abundant, slightly more Italian tannins, with slightly grainier chalk, and it's a little more rustic, very much marked by the soil with a low pH. This is the village wine to keep for a while. 5,246 bottles produced. It was bottled in August 2025. Drink Date: 2026 - 2034

The discussion with the Comando G guys this year was around planting, mulching, regenerative agriculture and high canopy. They keep advancing in the creation of the farm; they have planted vegetables, introduced chickens and geese and soon sheep to start producing compost from the farm. They keep planting, mostly in Navatalgordo, where they now have almost four hectares of white, which should go in production in 2027.

They are not releasing all their wines at the same time anymore, as some of the 2022s needed more time, so they got extended élevage. The 1er crus now come from 2023, which they consider a cool and rainy vintage of finesse, quite a change from the warm and dry 2022. In 2024, they lost over 50% of the crop (up to 70% in Villanueva de Ávila, the village where they have settled) for the entry-level wines because of the frost the 23rd of April. They used burners for their most important plots, and the loss in the crus was around 20% of the grapes. The quality and style of the 2024s is somewhere between 2023 and 2022. It was the second harvest in their new winery, which was a great improvement for them. The portfolio keeps evolving—they stopped making the village red from Rozas de Puerto Real—but it's nearly stable now (fingers crossed!). Even if very early, some of the wines had not yet finishing fermenting. 2025 was a super vintage, one of the finest ever, if not the finest, which they compared with 2016. Published: Dec 11, 2025 Reviewed by: Luis Gutiérrez

Terroir
The village of Navatalgordo sits high in the Sierra de Gredos mountains, northwest of Madrid, at elevations that regularly exceed 1,200 meters above sea level. This is extreme, marginal viticulture, where ancient bush-trained Garnacha vines cling to steep slopes of decomposed granite, quartz, and sandy soils known locally as arena. These poor, fast-draining soils severely limit vigor, producing naturally low yields and fruit of remarkable aromatic precision.

The climate here is continental and demanding. Summers are warm during the day but dramatically cool at night, preserving acidity and slowing ripening. Winds sweep through the high valleys, keeping vineyards healthy and further concentrating flavors. Old vines—many between 50 and 80 years of age—are dry-farmed and deeply rooted, pulling mineral tension and subtle salinity from the fractured granite beneath.

The 2024 vintage benefited from a relatively cool growing season with steady, even ripening. The result is a wine that leans firmly toward elegance rather than power, showcasing the high-altitude character of Gredos Garnacha: translucent, mineral, and profoundly expressive of place.

Winemaking & Technical Notes
Comando G’s philosophy is rooted in minimal intervention and absolute respect for site. In Navatalgordo, fruit is harvested by hand and fermented using indigenous yeasts, allowing each parcel to speak clearly. Whole clusters are often included to enhance aromatic lift and textural finesse, while extraction is kept deliberately gentle.

Fermentation typically takes place in small open vats or concrete, followed by aging in large neutral oak foudres and older barrels. The goal is not to shape the wine with wood, but to allow it to rest, integrate, and gain quiet complexity without losing its natural energy. Sulfur is used sparingly, and the wine is bottled without excessive filtration. This restrained approach yields a wine that feels unforced and alive, emphasizing purity, tension, and nuance over overt structure or richness.

Tasting Notes
The 2024 Navatalgordo opens with remarkable aromatic clarity. On the nose, it is immediately lifted and floral, offering notes of wild strawberry, red currant, and pomegranate, interwoven with rose petal, dried lavender, and subtle hints of crushed granite and white pepper. There is an airy, almost alpine freshness to the bouquet, underscored by a faint herbal note reminiscent of thyme and mountain scrub.

On the palate, the wine is light-bodied yet intensely expressive. Red fruit remains at the core—fresh raspberry, sour cherry, and cranberry—carried by vibrant acidity and an unmistakable mineral line. The texture is silken and weightless, with tannins so fine they feel more like a gentle frame than a grip. Savory nuances emerge mid-palate: dried herbs, a whisper of blood orange peel, and a saline edge that adds depth and persistence.

The finish is long, precise, and quietly powerful, lingering with red fruit skin, granite dust, and floral lift. This is a wine that prioritizes transparency and tension, revealing new layers as it opens in the glass.

Food Pairing & Service
Navatalgordo’s finesse and freshness make it exceptionally versatile at the table. It pairs beautifully with grilled lamb chops seasoned with herbs, roasted chicken with thyme and garlic, mushroom-based dishes, or Mediterranean vegetable preparations such as grilled eggplant and peppers. Its acidity and light tannin structure also suit charcuterie, cured meats, and semi-soft cheeses.

Serve slightly cool, around 55–58°F (13–14°C), in a Burgundy-shaped glass to highlight its aromatic detail. Decanting is not essential, but the wine benefits from a short period of air to fully express its floral and mineral complexity.