Winemaker Notes
High, cherry-colored depth with a ruby rim. Explosive notes of red and black fruit, fig preserve, hints of toast, Arabica coffee, toffee, spices, menthol and a dash of violets. Bold, meaty and full-bodied, yet a surprising freshness. Good acidity and round though under-ripe tannins give tension and complexity. Long finish.
Blend: 85% Garnacha Tintorera, 15% Monastrell
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
I also tasted the 2020 La Atalaya del Camino from a classical vintage of wines with less alcohol and higher acidity and more balance. This is a blend of 85% Garnacha Tintorera and 15% Monastrell from dry-farmed, head-pruned vines that are planted on limestone soils and average 45 years of age. It fermented in open-top stainless steel vats with neutral yeasts and matured in French oak barrels for one year. This feels harmonious and integrated, still young and a little creamy, but it was only bottled one month before I tasted it. There's more freshness and balance here, the 2020 is the most harmonious of the three vintages I tasted side by side.
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James Suckling
Brooding, dark color with notes of jammy blackberries, oyster sauce, dried violets, black olives, incense and cloves. Full-bodied, rich and flavorful, with a structured palate that’s full of dark berries.
Grenache thrives in any warm, Mediterranean climate where ample sunlight allows its clusters to achieve full phenolic ripeness. While Grenache's birthplace is Spain (there called Garnacha), today it is more recognized as the key player in the red blends of the Southern Rhône, namely Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Côtes du Rhône and its villages. Somm Secret—The Italian island of Sardinia produces bold, rustic, single varietal Grenache (there called Cannonau). California, Washington and Australia have achieved found success with Grenache, both flying solo and in blends.
The Moors gave it the name, ‘Manxa,’ which fittingly means ‘parched earth.’ La Mancha, the largest Spanish wine producing region in all of Spain, is one of its hottest and driest. Sturdy and drought-resistant white varieietes like Airen, Viura and Verdejo thrive in this environment.