Winemaker Notes
Made from early harvested Mediterranean Garnacha. This is a "Gredos" style Garnacha, bright, mineral, and floral, ripe without excess.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Fresh and ripe brambly fruit with some grilled herbs, stones and racy red berries. Textured and mineral on the pure, bright and linear palate with flower and fruit notes coming through. A very engaging garnacha that I would drink glass after glass. From organically grown grapes.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The pale Garnacha 2022 La Xara is serious but keeps the freshness and finesse. It fermented with 100% full clusters in 4,500-liter oak vats and matured in 11,000-liter oak vats and 600-liter oak barrels for seven months. It has 13.5% alcohol and a pH of 3.65, with contained ripeness, red berry fruit and a serious, austere and stony sensation. This is serious and complete, with a solid palate and a strong limestone/chalky sensation without rusticity.
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.