Dominio del Challao Garnacha 2020

Dominio del Challao is Manu Michelini and Carlos Fernandez's biodynamic project in Rioja, centred on the vineyards around Labastida in the cooler Rioja Alavesa. This is their pure Garnacha, made to show fruit and freshness rather than oak. Rioja's clay-limestone soils and continental climate, with marked diurnal swings, ripen the Garnacha while preserving its bright acidity and delicate aromatics. Crucially, the wine sees no new oak: it is aged around twenty months in old stone lagares and amphora alongside concrete, vessels that allow a slow micro-oxygenation to soften the texture while keeping the wine fresh, transparent and free of barrel character. The result is light and aromatic, a bright red with aromas of raspberry, strawberry and red cherry intertwined with aromatic herbs, white flowers and an earthy, mineral note. At 12.5 percent the palate is light, with fine tannin, juicy acidity and a clean, savoury finish. This is a fresh, gluggable Garnacha that takes a light chill well. Serve at 14 to 16 degrees, in a standard red glass.