La Nevera - Garnacha Cariñena 2017 | Monsieur Touton Selection

Tasting notes

The La Nevera Garnacha from the Cariñena region in Northeastern Spain. It shows a deep and rich garnet color. As you might expect, it has notes of rich red fruits like cherry and raspberry jam. The fruitier notes are well balanced by vanilla, cracked pepper, and earth. This is a medium body wine with medium acidity that can be evened out by decanting for a bit before serving. Those that enjoy a bolder wine will like the structure from the tannins and the smooth finish. The red fruits carry over, with some juicy plum, blackberry, and vanilla. This isn't a sweet wine by any means, as it has hints of oak and smoke towards the finish. We're ready to get grilling with this red. Well-charred skewers of steak, red pepper, onion, mushrooms, and zucchini brushed with a garlic herb sauce would do just the trick.

Appellation

It may be one of Spain’s lesser-known wine regions, but interest in Cariñena is on the rise. Local winemakers have recently captured the attention of international wine professionals and consumers alike and increasing demand for their single-varietal and blended wines has prompted producers to focus on new bottlings. The majority of Cariñena’s wines are made from Garnacha grapes and the region offers a diverse array of styles from steely, aromatic wines cultivated in high-altitude vineyards to ripe, robust expressions from the lower elevations.

Approximately 50 percent of the vineyards are planted with Garnacha. It’s quite common to find 30- to 40-year-old vines in Cariñena, while some of the oldest date back more than a century. Older vines produce less fruit, but their grapes yield more complexity and more concentrated flavors than those grown on young vines. Forty percent of the vines here are more than 20 years old.

Cariñena’s climate is continental, with cold winters and very hot summers. It is moderated by the region’s proximity to the mountains, with vineyards closer to the ranges receiving greater annual rainfall averages, particularly during spring and summer storms, than those on the plains. The areas near the mountains receive approximately 350 to 400 millimeters of rain annually. Wind, which is common in the area, also helps moderate the semiarid climate, particularly the cold, dry cierzo wind, which blows from the north and helps keep the vines healthy by reducing the risk of mildew and rot. The temperature in the vineyards tends to change dramatically from day to night, with shifts of up to 40 degrees in a single day, which slows ripening and softens tannins.

Description

Produced by celebrated winemaker Jorge Navascues who is an expert of the local terroir his expertise is crafting Garnache with a soft, smooth, round feel with attractive complexity and at the same time beautiful accessibility.

Spain Aragon Carinena