Alvar de Dios Hernandez - Camino de los Arrieros, Spain (2021)

TASTING NOTES

Vibrant notes of red and purple berries with a subtle hint of pepper, minerality, depth and complexity. Low tannins and a velvety smoothness.

 
From micro-small vineyard plots all over the Arrives DO, Alvar purchases fruit from 36 families - all with their own unique field blends and co-fermentation everything. One year ageing in old oak and one year in concrete. 

Alvar de Dios is a devoted artisanal winemaker based in the Toro D.O., a Spanish wine region that was traditionally known for leathery and overly robust wines, not unlike the over-the-top looks from the 80's! ⁠⁠Born into a family of winemakers in the village of El Pego, Alvar decided to venture outside of his hometown to learn and perfect his craft.

Alvar is flipping the script on the typically gaudy flavour profile of Toro wines, instead using organic and biodynamic viticulture to create ultra-fresh, nuanced and ethereal creations. The young Spaniard was hired as the cellar master for Fernando Garcia (of Comando G) at Bodegas Marañones 10 years ago in the Sierra de Gredos region.

As he worked for Fernando, he split his time between Toro and the Gredos mountains. Purchasing his first vineyards in his native DO, the terroir of the Arribes DO quickly caught Alvar’s attention. In Arribes he found a terroir reminiscent of that of Gredos – high elevation soils infused with granitic sand and mica, as well as a wide range of highly expressive indigenous grapes.

Alvar’s wines have tremendous freshness, partly because of the altitude at which the vines grow, but also due to his winemaking style, heavily influenced by his work with Comando G.