The Grape
Grenache is one of the greatest red wine grapes of Spanish origin and can be found in most denominations of this country. It is one of the most widely planted red wine grapes in the world and some greatest wines of the Cote du Rhone in France are made from this variety.
It has enormous versality and can be used from sparkling to sweet wines, from rosés to young reds and structured, long-lived wines. The key is mainly productivity as well as the degree of maturity.
The grape can be troublesome for the winemaker due to tendency to oxidize easily and lose color, thus its profitability is exceptionally low in order to make great wine reds owing to the fact that is necessary a short production in order to achieve concentration, great body as well as a long life.
The vineyard
The vineyard
Today's wine comes from what is called heroic viticulture, this term refers to the conditions of the terrain, which makes growing and tending vines especially difficult and which force winegrowers and producers to overcome vertigo on the hillsides. We are in the center of Spain, in Cebreros, at an altitude of more than 900m in the middle of the central massif. Poor slate soils. Extreme continental climate with long, cold winters and hot summers during the day and cool at night with temperature ranges of over 20 degrees Celsius during the day. This allows great ripening during the day thus the recovery of acidity and the settling of aromas at night.
The 60 years old vines, which allows for short, self-regulated production, a very homogeneous harvest in which we have a great richness of sugars complemented by excellent acidity.
The process
Harvesting is risky and manual. The slopes are more than 30% steep. All the grapes are collected in 20 kg crates, which undergo several quality selections before being used.
Fermentation does not take place in steel tanks, however it does in French oak vats with the vineyard's own yeasts, which guarantees its own distinct aromas.
This process is carried out by gravity and without the use of pumps. It is also added 30 % of the stalks. By doing so, we will obtain a salty and fast point.
After more than a month of maceration, all the color, tannins and aromas from the skins have been extracted and sugars are transformed into alcohol.
This is the moment to press and store the wine for 14 months in an oak vat where malolactic process becomes wine velvety and silkier. During the 14 months of ageing, the toasted and spicy aromas of the wood are acquired along with the tannins. The structure of the wine increases and complexity appears.
A great wine
This small and exclusive oenological jewel is ready to delight the palate and enhance the dishes with which it is accompanied. Each bottle is the result of technique, passion, effort, and tradition. The landscape, the variety, the culture, and man are fused to conclude in this wine.
Clean on the surface and transparent overall. Cherry red color with violet meniscus and medium-high intensity.
The nose is dominated by aromas of ripe red fruits (strawberry and cherry) and colored flowers (lilies). Behind it, notes of light toasted wood and sweet spices. Slightly balsamic hints of undergrowth (thyme, lavender) that are linked to minerality and earthy touches.
The palate is dry, medium-bodied with excellent acidity. Sweet fruit tannins that will polish in a few years. New wood tannin in the background. Towards the end of the mouth, we find a warm touch of alcohol that links with a sweet bitterness and an aftertaste where the smoky and spicy part is emphasized.
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Recommended Pairing
Options for your shopping list:
Grilled oily fish with sauces, Turkey or stuffed chicken, chilli with meet, traditional Cajum food, baked lamb, BBQ, raclette or cheese or meat fondue, stuffed potatoes, and aubergines. Asian meat food or spicy seafood.
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How can you share the experience about this wine
Visual
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Aromas
Move your glass in circular motions and bring it to your nose. Experts can feel ripe fruit, spices and details of wood too... And you?
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Taste
Taste the wine. One long drink, then breathing through the nose. Try to perceive the different flavors of this wine as it travels through your mouth and share it with others and enjoy the experience
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All content about tasting for wine geeks
GRAPE
The Garnacha grape is common in many spanish wines. Provides flavors of red fruits and colorful flowers.
COLOR
We can appreciate the bluish tones on the rim of this wine, which indicates that it is in a youth period.
NOSE
Riped red fruits and earthy notes from garnacha grape, hints of typically balsamic spices of this area of Spain and details of french low toasted wood ( cloves, vanila, sandalwood). The different families of flavours are not melted yet, so it is a recent vintage in a wine with great evolution in bottle. Bouquet is starting.
MOUTH
On the entry we can feel that it has no sweetness at all, although there is a good amount of glycerin that makes it more friendly. The fresh load of acidity of this wine makes us salivate on the sides of the central part of the tongue, it has tartaric and lactic acidity (i.e., grapes picked ripe and looking for smoothness and creaminess in the wine).
Tannins of the skin and the contribution of the wood are perceived as integrated and proportionate. Over the gums, palate and tip of the tongue appears a light and velvety astringency with no unriped sensations. We can easily remove it by running the tongue over it. It means good quality of skin and adequate aging period in barrels.
Through the mouth, the wine behaves seriously and well balanced with medium speed. Its heaviest point is still in the center of the palate. In a few years, this weight will shift towards the end of the mouth, showing signs of evolution and refinement.
As a good red wine, there is a bitter component at the bottom. The high quality of the grapes and a good work of ageing with a slight warmth of the alcohol, it shows a sweet bitterness, similar like the one found in coffee, cocoa, or a stout beer.
Once the wine has passed through, you can see the wine's sentence. We will taste it as we breathe in through the nose and appreciate the aftertaste. The delicate and more long-lasting, the better the wine will be.
