Agricola de Cadalso
Daniel Landi is a name synonymous with wine making. His family had been grape growers for generations, selling to the local cooperatives, but he wanted to make wines for himself. Since that realisation, he has turned the mountainous Sierra de Gredos, just 90 minutes west of Madrid, into a fine wine hotspot. Sierra de Gredos has flown under the radar for years, but recent interest in the area has resulted in increased recognition from critics, and Jancis Robinson has described the wines here as “more ethereal and lighter than the majority of Spanish Garnachas.” The region is rich with plantings of old-vine Grenache and plenty of potential. So while Daniel makes wines under his own label, he’s also a proactive part in maintaining the important wine-growing tradition in this part of Spain. Working with local growers, he helps them turn their grapes into wine at the Agricola de Cadalso, a cooperative which has been running since 1956. His work is helping to protect the best vineyards sites, stopping the land being sold off, and preventing the closure of both the cooperative and the growers businesses. Daniel Landi has helped to breathe new life into the wines from this region, and the dividends are clear. The wines of Agricola de Cadalso are a delicious testament to the hardwork of all involved and a wonderful example of the emerging quality of wines from the Sierra de Gredos.