Category: Grenache

Being a bit of an architecture nerd as well as the wine sort, I do tend to notice the way older buildings made from the local stone seem to affect the mood of a city. Melbourne and its dark bluestone can make grey winter days a little sombre. Paris and its limestone, well. Madrid is a city of light grey granite and its best red wine comes from the same rocks in the surrounding mountains. Whether it’s the stark ground or the brisk altitude, or probably both, that produce such lightly mouthwatering wine, it’s certainly a very different expression compared to Aragon or Maclaren Vale. It’s an area only rediscovered in the last couple of decades and being so close to the capital seems to have attracted those interested in the natural with minimal intervention, for better or worse. I must admit to finding some versions just a bit too feral or variable from bottle to bottle. Comando G bottles have been particularly unpredictable, sometimes not in a good way. Finding this bottle in what at first glance was an uninspiring Madrid wine shop for €10, it looked worth a punt. On closer browsing, there were some good bottles amongst the utilitarian shelves and well priced beers. When I got back to our Madrid cupboard sized apartment, a closer look at the back label indicated a Comando G link, oh well. Indeed it did open with a little bit of that yeasty, slightly cidery, low sulphur, natty wine fug. A bit of reduction too. Happily oxygen worked its spell and a very bright red fruited wine emerged. Full of mouthwatering cherries, cooked strawberries, a touch of fennel, orange peel and a haze of sun warmed rocks. Great cut of fine acidity and tannin. The sort of perfume and refreshment that good Bourgogne rouge used to have before changes in its climate, both weather and financial. Still a bit close to the technical edge like some of those delicious old school Burgundies but we hit the bottom of the bottle pretty quickly.

14% alcohol. Diam I think? €10 which looks good considering the lottery of entry level Comando G is now over $70 in Australia now.

93 points.

Terra Alta, close enough to Priorat for me to risk an unknown maker, particularly when the label says Garnatxa or Grenache from old vines. And not just Grenache as the common Spanish version but two sorts. Negre is the usual tinta. Peluda can be translated as hairy! Seems it’s a mutation of tinta, growing a fine hairy down on its leaves to help stop moisture loss in a hot climate. Clever grape. It’s also known as Lledoner Pelut in France. It’s a lovely blend too. Opens with a bit of reductive stink which clears reasonably quickly. Fresh red fruits, cherry and raspberry and that addictive old sooty fireplace thing that seems so common in Priorat and surrounds. Transparent and crisp for such a hot place, there’s a cinch of mouthwatering acidity and very fine skin tannin. One reference suggests the hairy one retains acidity well, maybe here’s the proof. The sort of delicious cut and mineral thing that’s difficult to find in Grenache from other parts.

14.5% alcohol but doesn’t look it. Diam. €13.50.

93 points.

Vinomofo, for good or bad. I must admit having a trawl now and then since I realised they direct imported the excellent Julien Schaal Rieslings. For most of us price is more than important, the business model less so. When this turned up for about $20 a bottle, my love of Grenache couldn’t resist. All the things that make a near to Priorat version so appealing. Deep but finely tailored cherry and other red fruits, nuts and a rocky cut. Fragrant with dry Mediterranean herbs too. Medium weight, fine skin tannins and refreshing acid bite. The only caveat being a twist of bitter sulphide, sadly so common in Spanish Grenache as it gains a year or so in the bottle. It did subside having been open for a day but..I must admit I always seem to like most Grenache when it’s youthful and booming with just picked succulence anyway. Some of S C Pannell’s McLaren Vale versions have persuaded me otherwise though. With the Rhone it’s more difficult as there’s blending and I can’t afford Rayas these days. The cause of the sulphide bitterness seems to be lack of YAN or yeast available nitrogen according to friendly winemakers. There’s also a much deeper scientific dive into types of sulphur compounds that affect wine and is well beyond my basic chemistry. I still can’t help wondering what makes wine tick though, so excuse me. In short this is probably one to drink at a nice cool temperature, like most young red wine demands, and soon. Nice lightweight bottle too.

14.5% alcohol. Diam. $20.

92 points notwithstanding a marginal fault that probably only bugs my precious taste anyway.

From Alfarràs, a village to the north of Lleida, which reminds me of a favourite film of recent years set in the village of Alcarràs, not so far away up on the Catalan plateau. It seems it’s a blend of Garnacha Tinta and Cabernet Sauvignon which may mean it’s outside the rules for the Costers del Segre DOP or the producer doesn’t seek certification? It is certified biodynamic, clean, bottle evolved and delicious. Looks like Garnacha or Garnatxa as the Catalans would probably insist. Lots of bright red fruit, peanuts, a touch of floral spicing and a just mid weight texture of chalky tannin and melting acidity. Would have never thought Cabernet if google hadn’t suggested it’s in there. Great Garnacha country. If you travel north west, there’s the Campo de Borja. South west there’s Priorat and the rest. Alcarràs the film deals with the changes, often economically enforced, in the farming communities around Lleida. Turning an old quarry area into a biodynamic vineyard seems a change for the better.

13.5% alcohol. Diam. $30. A Langtons direct import which means a Dan Murphy import too.

93 points.

November, another month and another six bottles from the empire of Dan. One old shop in the inner Melbourne suburb of Prahran that became a nationwide stupor market. Escaped this time with six bottles for $96. Immediately ready to go, nuts, spice and sweet cherry and berries with a swell of perfumed ripe fruit to finish. Just medium bodied and gently washy. Countered with a meaty and rocky drying skin tannin and firm acidity. Second day the meaty element becomes a more sulphide driven bitterness. Borsao have some great fruit of immense ripeness and a little sulphide can add a savoury note to stop the surge of sweet berries from overwhelming. Some will find this an attractive balance. For me just too bitter and recent Borsao bottles have just got more reductive over a couple of years. The sort of nitrogen deficit that can be fixed with a bit of winery fiddling. Or work in the vineyard a better option? It was a delicious drink when first opened and great value. Bit silly to over analyse such simple cheap pleasure at the table really.

13.5% alcohol. Screw cap. $8.95 in a six.

90 points day one, 88 day two.