Notes from Jose Pastor Selections:

"From several small plots of organically farmed vines that range in age from 60 to 80 years-old, all planted on sandy granitic soils at 830-960m elevation. This wine is named for the “Friar’s Needle” a formation that is visible from the vineyards.

4 Monos (4 Monkeys) is a project started in 2010 by 4 wine savvy friends - Javier García, Laura Robles, David Velasco, and David Moreno – in the Sierra de Gredos mountains, west of Madrid. They work 5 hectares of their own, as well as 5ha with other growers, all located in and around the villages of San Martín de Valdeiglesias, Cadalso de los Vidrios, and Cenicientos. Their missio n is to capture the purity of the local old vine Albillo and Garnacha grapes and the granitic soils of the area by utilizing organic viticulture and natural winemaking methods.

Vinos de Madrid is an appellation that encompasses a broad area within 3 provinces surrounding the city of Madrid. The climate is continental with a bit more rainfall than the rest of central Spain. The most prized area for serious winegrowing is called San Martín de Valdeiglesias, about 85km from Madrid in the Sierra d e Gredos Mountain range. Here, there are gently rolling hills of green scrub brush and vines planted on a shallow topsoil of sand over a base of granite. The elevation is quite high, starting at 650 meters, and going up to well over a thousand meters."