2020 Bodegas Monte Ory Garnacha Navarra

There’s a few new French, Italian and in this case Spanish direct imports on the shelves of Dan Murphy’s barns at tempting prices. So far about one in three has been interesting and good enough to consider a review and more importantly a rebuy. Unsurprisingly Grenache has featured strongly and when it comes from Navarra it tickles my fancy. This took a while to open up, a bit surly from both recent bottling and shook up after a long sea voyage? With a little patience, smells of musk, roses, strawberries, cherries, nut paste and sweet green herbs emerge. The same sort of light to just medium bodied flavours are cinched by clean fine and ripe acidity with a lovely tug of minerality. Not the most concentrated but delicious fruit for $13. Sort of resembles a basic Gredos altitude Garnacha, no bad thing.

13.5% alcohol. Screw cap. $12.40 in a six bottle purchase.

90 points, bonus for style and grace.

End of February 2022 and it’s a Dan’s member special, two for $13. Probably the best $6.50 bottle I’ve had for a long time, possibly the only one too. Still pretty brisk with a green edge but tart fresh fruit elbows its way through. Bit of meaty reduction in some bottles but as close to what I like in young Spanish Garnacha as you’ll get for not much. Seems Spain may have been into good Garnacha for a while? Think this sort is best cool and young, like we all were once. Goes extremely well from the fridge with a Sunday night pizza.

Now 91 points