Marañones and its geography

Where the wine comes from

Singular settings between 650 and 850m in altitude. In the Sierra de Gredos. Made up of a patchwork of vineyards of scenic and oenological value, within the D.O. ‘Vinos de Madrid’.

Gredos and the wine

A privileged location

The Marañones Winery is located southwest of the ‘Comunidad de Madrid’, between Toledo and Ávila. Where the Sierra de Gredos and the Sierra de Guadarrama merge, 70 km away from the capital. In San Martín de Valdeiglesias.

A complete ecological and rural system

The dynamics of change of the last decades in the rural world is noticeable in the area. Nevertheless some fundamental elements remain fully in force. They hold sway over a quality rural life and the relationships between its natural and human components

A geography ideal for wine

The Marañones wine is the result of the geographical factors specific of the eastern end of the Sierra de Gredos. The combination of geology, climate and soils, provides conditions renowned for vine cultivation.

The geographical factors

The geological base

The geology of the area is marked by two main aspects. On the one hand a system of large elevated blocks and depressions separated by faults. On the other hand the permanence of the granite as the predominant rock.

The morphological zones

In the area of San Martín de Valdeiglesias, around the heights of Gredos, there are four zones with clearly differentiated morphologies: 1. The granitic peaks, 2. The high sandy and stony slopes, 3. The middle slopes of sands with residual granite outcrops and 4. The beds and sediments of the valley bottoms.

The orographic conditions

The orientation-exposure of each vineyard and the annual variations of temperatures and rainfall, constitute micro-climatic environments that account for the annual performance of the vineyards. Our production process is dependent upon the climate as defining element of our wines, the attention to each vineyard and the care of its surroundings.

The optimal climate

The dry and temperate Mediterranean climate, with average annual temperatures of around 12 to14ºC, is mitigated by long, cold winters and hot, dry summers. The annual average of precipitations is around 500 to 550 l / m2, falling mainly during the autumn and spring months.

The hydrographic confluence

The merging of the Gredos and Guadarrama mountain ranges and the intense network of faults form an extensive hydrographic network. This network is organised around the Alberche River that feeds the reservoirs of Burguillo, San Juan and Picadas. Its route from west to south, describes a broad turn. It embraces and humidifies the region and moderates the climatic rigours of both summer and winter.

The nutritious soils

The soils come from the natural disintegration of granite. The weather encourages the formation of sandy soils and, to a greater or lesser extent, stony soils, which are the basis of the vineyards of Marañones. The composition of the soils is characterised by its acidity (pH 5.5-7), high levels of silica and low organic matter, which provide a high mineral expression to the grape.

The wine landscape of Marañones

The features of Gredos landscape around the vineyards of Marañones

The gentle and constant
flow of wind,

Create a natural ventilation and cleansing of the vineyards, making them less susceptible to fungal diseases.

The orientation
of our vineyards

is mostly on the north side, which, given the slope of the plots, facilitates an optimal sun exposure.

The pronounced variation
of intra-day temperatures

throughout the year and especially at critical moments, favours an optimum maturation of the grape.

The
“orographic protection factor”

The mountain ranges shield the direct influence of the cold winds and the frosts of the north and facilitate the ventilation of the vineyards

The topographical zones encompassing the vineyards of Marañones

1

The granitic peaks
of the foothills

Above 800m in altitude Eroded reliefs, witnesses of the oldest evolution phases of the landscape.

2

The sandy and rocky
high slopes

and granite outcrops, between 750 and 800m alt. They are somewhat steeper. They are areas of high interest for vine cultivation.

3

The sandy middle hillsides
with residual granite outcrops

with softer slopes and between 650 and 750m alt. They constitute the most usual areas for vine cultivation in the region.

4

The terraces and riverbeds
at the bottom of the valleys

with highly decanted sands. They are relatively flat surfaces, over 600 m alt.

5

The granitic
alignments

Residual reliefs linked to the main alignments of the Sierra de Gredos.

6

The “sierras”
of the southern ridge of Gredos

Summits and main slopes of the mountain range. Very fractured granites. Pyrenean oak and pine trees on hillsides. Pastures on summits.

Gredos as a heritage wine landscape

The wine landscapes have been prominent since immemorial times. At Marañones, we approach our plots as cultural wine landscapes. From this deep awareness, we create a synthesis of aesthetics, ethics and knowledge that is conveyed in our wines.

Gredos became a heritage site over time, with its network of environmental, geographical, political, cultural and commercial relationships. All these aspects together are born from the wine and are embodied in the wine. They give all its meaning to Gredos and contribute to creating a "character of place", an integral and living territorial identity.

Our landscape is unique, alive and functional, as a result of natural factors and human input. This conveys the concept of "heritage landscape”. It provides a context and continuity to the wine production. It is part of the cultural importance of the area and a reflection of its anthropology, culture, functionality, identity and beauty.

The rural landscapes of the eastern end of the Sierras de Gredos have kept their organisation in many small areas, land plots and old estates.
The landscape of the region is predominantly marked by the vineyard as a productive unit, mixed with undergrowth due to a gradual abandonment of the vines. Traditionally the agricultural exploitations were family run, with the production surpluses traded at the local and regional markets. The laws concerning land ownership and inheritance have contributed to a complex division of the land.

Our sensitivity to the essence of the landscape and the wine, led us since 2001, to focus the Marañones project on the recovery of traditional sites of the Gredos vineyard, many of them in processes of decline, although not abandoned totally.
We understand and consider the vineyards as an essential element of the landscape. Our intervention maintains and promotes the essence of the land while renewing it at the same time. Many aspects are indispensable in the development of a quality wine project: the social, economic, technical and organisational. We aim to respect them and foster a balance.

Marañones and the Gredos wine heritage

We approach the landscape as heritage from many points of view. This approach becomes a fundamental feature of our wines.

A unique context
for wine

A unique combination of geographical and human elements happens in the eastern mountain chains of Gredos. It makes this region an exceptional area for the development of a unique project around the production of quality wines.

Exceptional
places and vineyards

Marañones Winery is a way of understanding the relationship with the wine landscape. It is a renewed interpretation of an inherited landscape, through an intense process of modernisation and innovation in winemaking.

Full integration
with the landscape

Our vineyard plots are small, totalling 25 hectares. They are organised production areas, well integrated in the landscape. They respect the traditional features, without disruption from the most innovative aspects of organic agriculture.

Own character
and uniqueness

A wine region with its own characteristics beyond administrative divisions, with a clear uniqueness. Marañones was ideal to develop our consistent vision and approach. It was calling for a revitalisation of the landscape and a rediscovery of the culture and wine.

The wine landscape at Marañones

At Marañones Winery we work mainly in four areas, Marañones, Andrinoso, Peña Cruzada and Dehesa, which have old, unique and exceptional vineyards with local varieties of grapes.

“Comarca”, “Paraje” and “Parcela” wines

Considering the landscape as an important element in wine making has driven us to organise the production of our wines based on the concepts of Comarca (“Region”), Paraje (“Area”, “Location”) and Parcela (“Land Plot”). These categories allow us to effectively refer to the landscape in the wine.

We seek to reflect the whole of our vineyard through our Comarca wines. Our vineyard is located in four main locations, Andrinoso, Marañones, Peña Cruzada and La Dehesa, located between 650 and 850 meters of altitude. The vinification of each plot takes place separately, to better assess what the plot can contribute in each vintage. Comarca wines or Pueblo wines result from the assembly of multiple wines into one. In the case of the Garnacha, the wine will be 30,000 maravedíes, and in the case of the Albillo Real, picarana.

A Paraje wine is assembled from plots located next to each other. These plots share a similar microclimate, orientation and altitude, as well as the same type of grape and age. In the case of the Paraje wine, we wish to highlight the specificities of these vineyards compared to those used for the Comarca or Pueblo wine. This wine will be the “older sibling” of our Comarca wine. We offer under this concept a wine 100 percent Garnacha called marañones and another one 100 percent from local grapes called darío.

Last but not least, to complete the family, we have the eldest sibling: the Parcela wine. The Parcela wine comes from a single vineyard. By its characteristics, the age of the plant, the microclimate, the orientation, the altitude, the Parcela wine clearly conveys its uniqueness and quality. We offer three very different Parcela wines: piesdescalzos, 100 percent Albillo Real, labros, 100 percent Garnacha, and peña caballera, 100 percent Garnacha. Our expertise of the vineyards and of wine production bears its fruit through careful and methodical team work. This is how we draw out the essence of the vine landscape as faithfully as possible.