In 2013 Jose Garcia and his wife Julia Pena Garcia purchased, after a long drawn out search, one hectare of ancient Prieto Picudo vines grown at 860 metres to the south of Leon, called El Canal. The soil here is exposed rocky limestone and in places rounded, alluvial derived stones (similar to the galettes pebbels found in Chateauneuf) that are open to the elements from all sides. This was part of a greater vineyard area once, but now mainly left derelict, as is so often the case in lesser known Spanish wine regions. The vines are planted in bush formation saddled low to the ground, and with a yield of around 20 h/hl. It is hard land to work but the results are amazing. But why Jose has such a love of the variety is hard to ascertain, he grew up among Mencia after all, but he has found a quite remarkable plot, and his first wines were produced in 2017. 

The fruit is taken to his cellar in Valtuille de Abajo where they are sorted by hand. He uses whole-bunch ferments for his oldest fruit, the bunches are small and tightly packed, with lots of colour so this gives a slightly fresher finish to the wine and partially destems, but not does crush, the younger fruit. Ferments are made in oak, and ageing too, but this is light footed ageing. The wines are terroir driven, not ego infused.