Ca' di Mat Uncorked

Honestly, this event should have happened much earlier. Ca' di Mat is a young project in Gredos by the people behind Fedellos (formerly Fedellos do Couto) from Ribeira Sacra in Galicia. Their wines were once available in Ukraine, and while they may not be legendary (yet?), their quality, price, and authenticity certainly make them noteworthy. Unfortunately, these wines stopped being imported to Ukraine, so for a while, I shared my remaining bottles with friends until we drank the last one, leaving me wistfully gazing out the window, dreaming about tasting these wines again. But then came Vasyl and Serhii -- one with a desire to drink Ca' di Mat wines and the other with the means to bring them. Finally, we gathered on the slopes under the Park Landscape Alley on a beautiful Sunday to enjoy some delicious wine.

Gredos is an intriguing place. When you mention it's near Madrid, most people imagine intense heat and wonder how wine can be made there at all. However, if you haven't been west of Spain's capital, a quick Google search will show you -- it's still hard to understand how people produce such tense Garnachas and fresh, saline Albillo Reals in this region, squeezed between three provinces. These mountains create stunning landscapes but they also pose significant challenges for winemaking. With altitudes ranging from 600 to 1200 meters in a continental climate, the temperature variations are so extreme that consistent grape ripening becomes problematic and overall, causes considerable stress for the vines. The mountainous terrain makes mechanisation nearly impossible, necessitating manual labour for vineyard management and harvest. Coupled with economic challenges and technological changes in the latter half of the 20th century, many local winemakers abandoned Gredos in search of more favourable regions. Today, Gredos is home to numerous abandoned over 60-year-old vineyards.

And some people rediscovered them. But let's stay focused on Ca' di Mat rather than Telmo Rodríguez, Comando G, Daniel Gómez Jiménez-Landi and other regional heroes.

Curro Bareño and Jesús Olivares, already experienced with challenging regions through their Fedellos do Couto and Peixes projects (which they later merged into simply Fedellos), embraced the challenge of Gredos, finding old vineyards. In 2016, they founded a new winery called Ca' di Mat, meaning House of Fools in Piedmontese, reflecting the founders' adventurous spirit and willingness to take risks in exploring and reviving lesser-known wine regions. Their approach hasn't changed much, with a focus on minimal intervention and respect for the environment, but here they reveal a different terroir.

Currently, Ca' di Mat offers a range of five wines. Our simple task was to taste them all, and here are the results of this delightful tasting.

P.S. Price in the table includes handling and delivery around Europe to Ukraine.

Ca' di Mat Valautín Albillo Real 2022

Valautín, meaning "valley of small vineyards" in Piedmontese, aptly describes this Albillo Real from San Martín de Valdeiglesias. The grapes are sourced from various small vineyards with granitic soils, situated at altitudes between 650 and 750 metres. These vineyards are part of a Special Protection Area for Birds and the Natura 2000 network. The rainfed vineyards, cultivated traditionally with goblet training, are harvested manually in 15 kg boxes. The whole grapes are directly pressed, and the juice undergoes spontaneous fermentation, followed by twelve months of ageing in French oak barrels without batonnage.

Ca' di Mat Los Peros Albillo Real 2022

This Albillo Real comes from the Los Peros vineyard at 850 metres above sea level, featuring 70-year-old vines growing in granitic soils with red granite outcrops. The vineyard is part of a Special Protection Area for Birds and the Natura 2000 network. It is dry-farmed and organically cultivated, registered with the CAEM. The grapes are harvested manually in 15 kg crates, directly pressed, and the juice undergoes spontaneous fermentation and twelve months of ageing in French oak barrels without batonnage.

Ca' di Mat Valautín Garnacha 2021

Valautín, meaning "valley of small vineyards" in Piedmontese, describes this Garnacha from San Martín de Valdeiglesias. The grapes come from various small vineyards with granitic soils at altitudes between 650 and 750 metres. These vineyards are part of a Special Protection Area for Birds and the Natura 2000 network. The dry-farmed vineyards, cultivated traditionally with goblet training, are harvested manually in 15 kg crates. The grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation, with gentle maceration for 90 days, followed by one year of ageing, half in concrete and half in 500-litre French oak barrels.

Ca' di Mat Los Peros Garnacha Tinta 2021

This Garnacha Tinta originates from the Los Peros vineyard, located at 850 metres above sea level with vines around 100 years old growing in granitic soils with red granite outcrops. The vineyard is part of a Special Protection Area for Birds and the Natura 2000 network. It is dry-farmed and organically cultivated, registered with the CAEM. The grapes are harvested manually in 15 kg crates, undergo spontaneous fermentation with gentle maceration for 60 days, and are aged for one year in 500-litre French oak barrels.

Ca' di Mat Fuente de los Huertos 2022

"Orchard Fountain" aptly describes this Garnacha from the Fuente de los Huertos plot, located at nearly 800 metres above sea level with a northwest orientation. The 50-year-old vines grow in shallow granitic soils rich in quartz. The vineyard, part of a Special Protection Area for Birds and the Natura 2000 network, is dry-farmed and organically cultivated, registered with the CAEM. The grapes are harvested manually in 15 kg crates, undergo spontaneous fermentation with gentle maceration for 60 days, and are aged for one year in 500-litre French oak barrels.

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