As usual, Spain comes through with great bargains. This Garnacha is made from 60-80 year old vines perched 3000 feet above sea level and dry-farmed despite the sparse rainfall in this region.
This is dark in the glass, unusual for Garnacha. The nose gives ripe blackberry and kirsch aromas that sit under a layer of raisin and loamy earth, with mint chocolate and licorice highlights. Intriguing and complex but the alcohol burn is distracting. The palate brings in some cola and more licorice while maintaining the raisin theme. This lacks the structure of a more expensive wine. But despite the low acid, the wine doesn’t feel flabby. The texture is bristly without being rough and the tannins although soft and fine grained are persistent enough to provide some interest on the cola and licorice inflected finish. The development on the palate is linear but has good flavor intensity. A great value for a everyday wine.
Commercial no doubt but sophisticated and darkly mysterious with surprising depth like Chris Isaak “Wicked Game”
Score: 88
Price: $8
Alc: 14.5%
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