Aseginolaza & Leunda Camino de Auritz 2023

Aseginolaza & Leunda is the project of Jon Aseginolaza and Pedro Leunda, two Basque biologists who set out to recover old Garnacha plots around Muruzabal in Navarra. Camino de Auritz comes from these reclaimed vineyards, where mature vines and a continental climate with cool nights slow ripening and concentrate the fruit while holding on to acidity. The grapes are farmed with minimal intervention, and the wine spends eleven months in French oak barrels. That seasoned oak softens the tannins through slow oxygen exchange and adds a fine spice frame rather than heavy toast, while the older vine material gives depth without weight. Expect a deep red, a nose of ripe plum and dark berries with black pepper, dried thyme and a turn of earth, and a palate at 14.5% that is full and warm but kept fresh by Navarran acidity. The finish carries liquorice and a faint oak grip. Serve at 16 to 18 degrees and decant for half an hour to open the fruit. It suits roast and grilled red meats and aged sheep cheeses.