Winemaker Notes
Clear, medium intensity, ruby color wine.Clean, high intensity aromas of red fruit such us raspberry, strawberry, red cheery, also black pepper and earthy notes. Dry and fresh, soft tannins and medium body. Red fruits flavors, mineral hints and a long finish.
Ideal accompaniment for cured ham, stews, game and meat dishes.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Viña Zorzal has produced a 2019 Nat'Cool with Matías Michelini from Graciano grapes, a classical but scarce grape found mostly in Navarra and Rioja from a super healthy vintage, with enough rain and mild weather during harvest time. This is 11.84% alcohol, quite low and with healthy acidity (low pH and notable reading in tartaric acid per liter), so the grapes were picked early, destemmed and fermented in concrete and stainless steel with indigenous yeasts. It was kept in concrete (topped up with a little Garnacha) until bottling in March 2020. It's so obviously young and primary, with a bright, translucent purple color and a fruit-driven nose, with great freshness and perfume, with an herbal twist. It's not terribly complex, but it's super-pleasant and gulpable, solid, balanced and fresh, really easy to drink. The world needs more wines like this!
Graciano has been best known as a blending grape used in Rioja to add color, depth and perfume to Tempranillo. It also thrives in the nearby region of Navarra and a few dedicated winemakers in California and Australia are making singe varietal bottlings certainly worthy of checking out! Graciano’s black fruit and lush tannins make it a perfect pairing to grilled or smoked red meat, as well as game.
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.