Garnacha from Navarra and Aragon
Overshadowed by La Rioja, and too often reduced as great rosé producer Navarra is gaining ground with serious Grenache wines! Recently younger producers and new comers are building a new image for Grenache based wines, Martin de Unx is becoming a repetetive names in discussion concerning Navarra’s great potential. Today we will present you a superb red, produced from a perfectly well-managed co-operative located in Añorbe. Nekeas has been elaborating superb wines from Valdizarbe, one of the most northern sub-region, for quite a while.
Chaparral https://classic-vins.com/wines-andorra/el-chaparral-2019/
You will be amazed to hear that we tend to describe this red Garnacha as an elegant one, although it is fetching a 15% content. Back in the days, the idea was to produced impressive rich blockbuster. Nowadays Concha Vecino is aiming at a drier style avoiding any sensation of sweetness. I guess that subtle extraction by lowering the amount of remontage (pumping-over) during the winemaking process. Also, the 12 months oak treatment is subtle and do not dominate. A generous and voluminous wine with supple tannins, some ripe dark fruits and a hint of black pepper.
Full-bodied, but the alcohol is amazingly well integrated. The value is mind-blowing!
Ferran Centelles does rate this wine well, and James Suckling gave it a 93/100.
A true bargain!!!
Further south, heading to a new brand adventure in Aragon, in DO Campo de Borja, Gil Pejenaute is “cooking” some interesting stuff! Maybe you have heard of him, as Decanter magazine and Guia Peñin consider that he is one of Spain’s rising stars.
Javier Gil Pejenaute is based in La Rioja Baja and works with the notorious Palacios Family, as one of their winemakers. But recently he has launched this project with his wife in the southern part of Campo de Borja at approximately 500 meters above sea level. The vineyard has great potential, even though the vines are roughly 35 years old young according to Javier.
For the time being, Javier is producing 2 wines.
Tabuca 2020 exhibits some lovely and perfumed aromas. Floral, grapefruit, spices, some ripe dark fruit too. The mouthfeel is gentle and smooth, but dry and elegant. By dry I want to express that there no sweetness sensation whatsoever. The finish is fresh and elegant, even though being a full-bodied wine.
James Suckling 93/100
Tabuca 2021 is not, yet available, but I guess it will arrive before Christmas. So far, my favourite vintage as this one is juicy, fresh, and complex. Also full-bodied but a superb food-friendly wine that run away from the “new worldy” style usually adopted in that Spanish area.
92/100 Robert Parker
Different style but totally worth a try, if you like big, bold wines! Bodega Morca owned by Gil family estates goes for concentrated and impressive wines packed with flavour, rich textured tannins, and strength. In that sense, they can be significantly closed to some classic Australian wines, such as Torbreck.
The highly attractive Godina seems to seduce most wine lovers! Hand-harvested, and aged 15 months in French oak this mind blowing blockbuster combines perfectly with hard cheeses such as Comté or mature manchego. Figs, vanilla, chocolate almost porty like. It is rich and intense. Above I mentioned the Australian style, but if you are into Italian’s Amarone don’t search any further. Godina is for you.
Qualitatively Aragon has been stuck during decades and mostly handed by co-operatives, although some of them have done a terrific job. Borsao, Bodegas Aragonesas or Bodegas San alejandro are names that come to mind straight away. But motivated individuals such Robert Norrel MW, Jorge Navascues or Fernando Mora MW are giving new chances to this overlooked wine region.
Calatayud is the southern most DO in Aragon, also a region that has suffered a devastating fire last year. Effectively more than 14.000 Has were charred by the flames in 2022. Bodegas Atteca has been launched by Gil family Estate and here the style is bold and powerful. And most wines are offering tremendous value.
Not so long algo, we opened a 2013 Atteca Armas their top bottling. An impressive grenache that aged amazingly well. Now we can offer Atteca Armas from the 2015 vintage. Those wines need time to mature, to tame that youthful concentration. Otherwise, they seem to be over the top!
this 2015 is drinking well, more especially if you are into big sunshine wines. Atteca Armas is elaborated exclusively from high altitude old vines grenache.
94/100 Peñin
