Bodegas Cinco Leguas Marc Isart
Vinos de Madrid, Spain
Bodegas Cinco Leguas is the wonderfully scruffy, deeply thoughtful Madrid wine project of Marc Isart, one of the most respected names in modern Spanish natural-leaning winemaking and proof that you absolutely can make serious wine while still looking slightly like you’ve wandered out of a folk band rehearsal. After helping put Bernabeleva and the wider Gredos movement on the map, Marc turned his attention toward old vineyards around Madrid, focusing on local varieties, traditional farming and wines with proper soul.
The whole philosophy behind Cinco Leguas revolves around making wines that actually taste like where they come from rather than tasting like oak barrels, consultants or marketing meetings. The vineyards sit southeast of Madrid around villages like Valdilecha and Chinchón, with old vines planted in limestone and clay soils at fairly serious altitude. The result is wines that feel fresh, energetic and surprisingly delicate despite the hot central Spanish climate.
You’ll find loads of personality here. Garnacha, Malvar and Tinto Fino all get handled with a light touch, producing wines packed with bright fruit, herbs, spice and earthy mineral character rather than huge jammy extraction. There’s often a slightly wild, rustic edge too, but in the charming “old farmhouse and long lunch” kind of way rather than the “this wine tastes actively broken” natural wine way. Everything feels alive, drinkable and genuinely expressive.
The name Cinco Leguas itself comes from an old law allowing wines produced within five leagues of Madrid to be served at the royal court, which honestly feels wonderfully specific and very Spanish. The wines carry that same sense of history and place while still feeling modern, energetic and dangerously easy to drink. Proper terroir-driven wines without any unnecessary pretension attached, which is increasingly rare these days.
