Pegaso 'Zeta' Cebreros Garnacha 2021

Too often these days, wine feels sterile, polished and boring. It's difficult to put into words exactly how this kind of perfection isn't honed, but is simply naturally present. It could be the automatically associated genius with Spain's darling winemaker Telmo Rodríguez. It's could be Sierra de Gredos' ‘pizarra’ red slate and granite soils, upon which 60-year old Garnacha bush vines exist at altitude. It could be the light touch with which the wine is handled, giving the wines the purest expression and their unique sense of place. 

Guessing aside, I can say with certainty that this wine feels real. It's alive. Fragrant and heady, with a deep, expressive soul. Behind bright raspberry and redcurrants is a bed of violets and vanilla. Soft, fruity and refreshing, giving a lot more than the price tag suggests.

Based in Sierra de Gredos, Pegaso was born from a collaboration between Rioja native Telmo Rodríguez, his long-time business partner Pablo Eguzkiza and two-time world rally champion Carlos Sainz Sr. They named the winery in tribute to Pegaso, a famous 1940s Spanish car manufacturer prized by collectors with an eye for sleek, classic design.

Sierra de Gredos is a range of mountains west of Madrid, spanning the provinces of Toledo, Madrid and Avila. The region’s rugged landscape, with granite-laced soils, has been home to numerous winemaking families for generations and boasts a wealth of old vine Garnacha. Telmo and Pablo were gripped by the potential of these vineyards when they first saw them while travelling across Spain in search of forgotten regions. Telmo explains that “this extraordinary vineyard was growing wild, without winemaker, oenologist or engineer: it was an orphan.”