La Garnacha Salvaje 2021
The freshest version of Garnacha in the Ebro valley
Experience and passion are the driving forces behind the creation of Proyecto Garnachas, a tribute to a grape variety that the Vintae group regards as ‘world class’. To start it up they rescued old, abandoned vines in the Ebro Valley where Garnacha is widely grown. The excellent result is visible in reds such as La Garnacha Salvaje 2021, made from grapes from old vines that grow in Moncayo, where the regions of Aragón and Navarra meet. It’s the freshest version of this variety.
Consumption features
Serving temperature
Consumption time
General features
Type of wine
Region
Grape variety
100% Garnacha tinta
Type of barrel
French oak barrels
Barrel aging time
5 months
Capacity (cl)
75
Alcohol content (% vol.)
14
General Information
La Garnacha Salvaje 2021 is a delicious single-varietal wine that reflects the landscape, with the freshness and elegance that come from the Atlantic influence on the area, located where Navarra and Aragón meet. It was designed from grapes from old Garnacha vines that grow at a high altitude of 800 metres in Moncayo, in the Ebro Valley, in stony soils with a high slate and pebble content. The grapes were harvested by hand. The wines has been aged for 5 months in French oak barrels.
Until not long ago, Garnacha was the most widely grown grape variety in Spain (it was even the main grape in Rioja until the 1970s and 1980s, ahead of Tempranillo). Proyecto Garnachas (2008) is an initiative of the Vintae group aimed at demonstrating that Garnacha is one of the best grape varieties in the world. Both Richi Arambarri, the company’s CEO, and technical director Raúl Acha admit to being in love with this variety with which they are well familiar as they both come from Alto Najerilla, the part of Rioja with the highest proportion of old Garnacha vines.
They set about rescuing small plots of old Garnacha vines in the Ebro Valley, vineyards that had been abandoned due to their low profitability: very low yields and demanding cultivation. The firm, based on recovering old Garnacha vines, currently produces a range of six reds from Garnacha grapes grown in different areas of Aragón, Catalonia and Rioja.
The red La Garnacha Salvaje 2021 is ideal with beef carpaccio or Ibérico pork medallions with a mustard sauce.
Creators' opinion
Appearance: Bright russet-cherry-red colour with a youthful edge. Nose: Aromas of red fruit, wild berries and a vegetal touch. Palate: Balanced, tasty and highly fruity (predominance of strawberries and raspberries) and a hint of sweetness in the finish.
The winery
One of the latest adventures of Vintae is the Proyecto Garnachas de España (2008), directly linked to the group's technical director, Raúl Acha, who confesses to being a lover of this grape. Garnacha was, until not long ago, the most cultivated variety in Spain (it was even the predominant grape in Rioja until the seventies-eighties, surpassing tempranillo). Raúl Acha set out to select small plots of garnacha over a century old throughout the Ebro Valley. Forgotten vineyards, and in some cases, abandoned by their owners due to their low profitability: they barely produce 3-4 bunches per vine and also require complicated viticulture. Now, with these old garnachas from the Ebro Valley, Vintae creates a collection of wines that showcase how this variety behaves in different terroirs.