Baigorri Garnacha 2019

Baigorri Garnacha comes from Bodegas Baigorri, a gravity-fed winery in Rioja built so that grapes and wine descend through seven underground levels without pumping. This is a varietal Garnacha drawn from very old, low-production vines, with the fruit sorted grain by grain on selection tables. Garnacha ripens late and accumulates sugar readily, which accounts for the 14% alcohol and the ripe red-fruit character; old vines with naturally small crops concentrate that fruit and add depth without heaviness. The wine spends fourteen months in French oak, where slow oxygen exchange through the staves softens tannin and folds in vanilla, sweet spice and a fine grain of toast. Malolactic fermentation converts sharp malic acid to softer lactic acid, rounding the mid-palate. It is brilliant cherry red with garnet edges. The nose leads with floral aromatics over ripe cherry and plum, with black pepper and a touch of liquorice. The palate is generous and supple, the oak well integrated, the finish warm and savoury. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees in a large-bowled glass. It suits roast lamb, grilled beef and aged hard cheeses.