The 4 Monos project, which means “4 Monkeys”, was established by four friends who met whilst hiking in the Gredos mountains. Married couple Javier Garcia and Laura Robles take care of all the viticulture and winemaking from a total of 10 hectares of vineyards, five of which they own. 2010 was the first bottled vintage but it was not until 2016 that the project became a full-time reality, as more vineyards became available and total production rose to 35k bottles. Based out of a tiny cellar in the village of Cadalso de los Vidrios high up in the Gredos Mountains an hour west of Madrid, these fabulous Garnacha-based wines are bright, racy, and crystalline – a product in part of the fine, decomposed granite soils on which they are grown. GR10 is an outstanding entry-level wine that captures the fresh and fruity side of Gredos Garnacha, while the other wines seek to express different sub-regions of the Sierra de Gredos. Vineyard elevation climbs to around 1,000m, and although the flavour profiles of the individual wines varies across the range depending on the terroir, succulence of fruit, bristling acidities and seductive perfumes are consistent themes. Albillo Real is a local white variety that offers savoury, saline-inflected flavours and rich, food-friendly textures. Winemaking is firmly non-interventionist, favouring natural, whole bunch fermentations and long, gentle macerations in a combination of wood and concrete before aging takes place in used oak casks for 12-18 months.