Maquinon Garnacha 2013 Priorat DOCa, Spain

 

Maquinon Garnacha 2010.

Wine review

3 of 5 stars

A good wine

This young Garnacha wine shows a clear, ruby red colour of medium intensity. Fresh and simple on the nose, this wine has a focused aromatic profile of fresh red fruit with light spice and oak aromas. Red cherries dominate with strawberry appearing on their side. Having matured for four months in oak casks, this wine also has a slight scent of vanilla.

The first strike is medium bodied, markedly fruity and round.  On the mid-palate pleasant white pepper notes accompany the red cherries. Tannins are medium in amount and quite ripe. However, there is some roughness to the tannins. Acidity is also of medium intensity, while fruit as well as alcohol are abundant. As a result the balance is not optimal but tends to lean towards fruit and alcohol creating a very round overall impression. The acid structure doesn’t have quite enough power to support all the weight. Ending with a pleasant medium length, white pepper finish, this wine steers my thoughts to barbecue parties, where it would certainly serve its purpose.

Not too complex while quite alcoholic, this BBQ wine would be best served with fatty meats like sausages, ribs and pork chops. Also, it will be able to tolerate all kinds of sauces and grilled sides due to its simple, fruity nature. Even foods with plenty of umami, such as fresh mushrooms and asparagus, would work without a problem because there’s so much fruit in this wine.

Info in a nutshell

Price examples:

DKK 100 (EUR 13) per glass, wine bar Antidote, Copenhagen, Denmark

DKK 135 (EUR 18) wine shop Smalle Vin, Kööpenhamina

EUR 19.50 web shop ebuywines.com

USD 23.99  web shop heightschateau.com

Country and region: Spain, Priorat

Grapes: Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Mazuela

Alc vol: 14%

Producer: Casa Rojo

Background

Spain has only two wine regions with the highest DOCa classification: Priorat and Rioja. Maquinon Garnacha comes from Priorat, and is made of the area’s dominant grape Garnacha (in French Grenache). Even though Garnacha is widely planted in Spanish vineyards, apart from Priorat the rest of Spain mainly uses Garnacha only as a component in blended wines. AS a thin-skinned grape with high demands for a very warm climate it presents the winemaker a challenge. Creating intensely coloured, full-bodied wines with a proper acid structure from 100% Garnacha is a vexing task.  Priorat and Souther Rhone the two wine regions in the world that reach this kind of peak results with Garnacha. More simple style Garnacha wines are easy to drink, fruity and slightly peppery. This is exactly the role Garnacha has in wine blends: to soften the somewhat tougher grapes with potent tannins and acidity, such as Tempranillo and Syrah.

Casa Rojo is a negotiant producing natural and organic wines from the most important wine regions in Spain. The label of Maquinon Garnacha indicates 100% Garnacha, however the technical sheet of the wine mentions also Mazuela and Cabernet Sauvignon leaving the percentages of their usage unclear. Hence, the final truth of the grape consistence of this wine remains an enigma, but the wine is marketed as 100% Garnacha.

Descendientes de J. Palacios Pétalos 2012 Bierzo, Spain

Pétalos 2012.

Wine review

4 of 5 stars

A very good wine

Every now and then I get inspired by a wine article. This time it was Matt Kramer’s story about fantastic grape varietals that might have sneaked under the wine lovers’ radar. His description of the Spanish variety Mencia as ”broad-shouldered Pinot Noir” got me galloping towards the wine shop, and I’m grateful it did. Otherwise I could have overlooked this marvellous wine discovery.

As a reminder of its youth, this wine has a purple tint to its deep ruby hue. Pétalos (Eng. petals), faithful to its name, immediately exhibits a garden of flowers on the nose including roses, violets and even lilies. Dark fruit - cherries, both fresh and dried, and blackcurrants - follow the floral aromas. Strikingly, for a wine this age, there are further layers of developed earthy and autumnal herbaceous tones like fallen leaves and slate minerality. Astonishing complexity!

The layers of aromas of the nose continue on the palate. Cherries, herbs and minerality are evident. However, fruitiness shows restraint, which results in a fine balance with medium acidity and ripe, fine grained tannins of moderate quantity. Although there is a substantial amount of alcohol, the mouthfeel is elegantly medium-bodied and very dry. Paradoxally, this voluminous and mouth-filling wine leaves a featherlight impression. The dry finish with cherry and blackcurrant is long.

To fully appreciate this complex, medium-bodied wine, I would pair it with aromatic Spanish tapas, flavourful risotto or pasta. Charcuterie and hard cheeses would work as well. Avoiding chilli is a good idea since this otherwise airy and elegant wine has a high alcohol content.

A balanced, elegant and complex wine of great value. Highly recommended.

Info in a nutshell

Price examples:

EUR 12,35  webshop santacecilia.es

USD 16,96 webshop canalswine.com

GBP 18,95 wine shop Majesticwine, UK

DKK 140 (EUR 18) wine shop Vin Specialisten, Copenhagen, Denmark

Country and region: Bierzo, Spain

Grape: Mencia 100%?

Alc vol: 14,5%

Producer: Descendientes de J. Palacios

Background

Bierzo has had a reputation of producing simple, fruity red wines. Known mainly by locals it remained in the back seat of wine producing Spain until 1990’s. At that time, Alvario Palacios and Ricardo Perez Palacios entered into the picture bringing change. Descendientes de J. Palacios commenced to produce characterful Mencia wines from old vines using biodynamic and organic farming and vinification methods. They decided to make single vineyard wines from vines growing on steep slopes, while the common fruity and light Bierzo were products of vineyards located low in the valleys. Currently, Descendientes de J. Palacios owns around 200 little vineyards located high on slate slopes where only manual tending to the vines is possible. As their Mencia wines in general, Pétalos has had several excellent vintages in a row. Amongst them, 2012 might be one of the most impressive.