Winemaker Notes
Semi-translucent ruby color announces a classical, restrained style of Garnacha. Aromas of flowers, red fruits and warm baking spaces lead to a soft and enveloping but persistent and complex palate of ripe strawberry and Mediterranean herbs.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Both wines from 2018 showed very fresh and young, younger than you'd have anticipated. The 2018 El Terroir follows the path of previous vintages and is a Garnacha selection of their organic and biodynamically farmed plots (but not certified), fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in barrel for 18 months. It's clean and aromatic and has herbal freshness, a certain leafiness that even makes me think of Mencia. The oak is neatly integrated and folded into the wine, which comes through as balanced and elegant, with a Mediterranean twist that is characteristic from San Martin. It has a medium to full-bodied palate with very fine, chalky tannins.
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.
Just north of Spain’s famous Rioja region, Navarra excels in the production of full and fruit-dominant reds and good quality, dry rosés. Garnacha holds most of the land under vine, with Tempranillo coming in second place.